Yesterday, an official ceremony took place to mark the beginning of the transformation of a historic building from 1957, which once housed various departments of the water and energy company.
“The building is worthy of the important work that our ‘Water Production’ operators have proudly been carrying out for 93 years,” said Alfredo Koolman, CEO of WEB Aruba NV.
As a symbolic gesture of the ‘groundbreaking,’ the CEO, along with Minister Rene Herde, unveiled an inspirational plaque reading, “Our workers are the unsung heroes behind every drop of life,” honoring the operators of the water production plants at WEB. The first phase of the new building is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025.
During the ceremony, Victorino Alberts, Head of the Water Production Department, expressed his excitement about the new control center. “Our water plant operators carry a great responsibility. They are tasked with maintaining the infrastructure that we started more than 100 years ago, and we take pride in carrying it forward. Without water, there is no life,” said Alberts.
The control center marks the start of a new era for water production, focusing on the ongoing importance of Aruba’s water resources. To achieve this, WEB is separating projects related to water from those concerning energy. The company is collaborating with local and international partners to help meet the challenges related to drinking water production.
Another key project within this initiative is the construction of a three-phase SWRO plant, which has already begun and is expected to be operational by June 2026. Other ongoing projects include the design of an ‘Open Sea Water Intake’ for SWRO Plant 2, which currently uses beach wells, and the optimization of SWRO Plants 1 and 2. These efforts will ensure that Aruba always has a sufficient supply of drinking water.
Concluding the ceremony, Koolman emphasized the strategic importance of Aruba maintaining its own drinking water production capabilities. “It’s not only a financial decision but also a strategic one, as there are no other sources of drinking water on the island,” he said.
Photo Credits : https://diario.aw/categories/noticia/general/a-cuminsa-pa-crea-un-control-center-ultramoderno-na-web-aruba-nv
