In July 2017, Water. Desalination + reuse (Faversham House) reported that the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) had agreed a multi-million dollar financing deal with the Caribbean Development Bank. Part of the money was earmarked for two new desalination plants. In February 2016 the BWA had called for interest in two plants of 30,000 m³/day each, including feed and concentrate wells, chlorination and drinking water storage. The schemes were expected to run as public-private partnerships covering design, construction, financing and 15 years of operation.
The report showed how a highly water-scarce island state sought to expand desalination with backing from a regional development bank and private operating models.