Amid service crisis, San Juan secures court-enforced role in water system oversight

San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo

By THE STAR STAFF

San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo announced Monday that the municipality has obtained a court-approved stipulation granting it, for the first time, direct participation in the operational decision-making and evaluation processes of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) for the metropolitan region’s potable water system.

The ruling, issued as part of a lawsuit filed by the municipality, requires PRASA to open access to internal information, monitoring tools, and operational data, and to integrate San Juan’s technical representatives into the committees that oversee system stabilization.

Romero said the agreement marks a turning point after months of water interruptions affecting thousands of residents.

“Our residents faced a crisis that impacted their quality of life, and the Municipality assumed the responsibility of providing direct support,” he said. “But to solve the problem, we needed access to information, access to the systems, and the participation of professionals with the necessary experience.”

Under the stipulation, engineer Roberto W. Martínez Toledo -- who previously led PRASA’s metropolitan regional operations -- will serve as San Juan’s official representative on the newly created Committee for the Stabilization and Restoration of Water Service. The committee will include technical personnel from both the municipality and PRASA and will be responsible for identifying the causes of service failures, coordinating corrective actions, and monitoring system performance.

The agreements also grant San Juan access to PRASA’s GIS, SCADA, and AAA Metro platforms, as well as operational reports, tank-level data, pumping histories, valve-operation logs dating back to June 2025, and other technical information needed to conduct independent analyses. PRASA must also immediately notify the municipality of any valve adjustments, including who performed them and when.

Municipal experts will participate in inspections of critical valves and infrastructure, including filtration plants, dams, and major components such as Carraízo, La Plata, Los Filtros, and the Superaqueduct. The committee will also have authority to recommend and implement manual valve adjustments when necessary, with PRASA obligated to comply in good faith.

The agreement further establishes permanent mechanisms for information exchange between the two entities and requires PRASA to continue supplying water via tanker trucks to affected communities until the joint technical committee determines the system has stabilized.

Additionally, the process will begin to reimburse the municipality for extraordinary expenses incurred during the emergency -- costs that already exceed $621,000.

The court will retain jurisdiction to ensure compliance with all terms.

Romero emphasized that while the agreements represent “an important first step,” the municipality will continue pressing for long-term solutions.

“Sanjuaneros deserve clear information, transparency, and answers,” he said. “We will continue defending their interests and using every tool available to achieve permanent solutions to this crisis.”

The first meeting of the new stabilization committee is scheduled for today at 10 a.m. at San Juan’s Municipal Office of Emergency Management, where joint technical work between the municipality and PRASA will formally begin.