Former senator decries lack of water service in western towns

Former Sen. Migdalia González Arroyo

By The Star Staff

Former senator Migdalia González Arroyo has brought attention to the dire situation faced by communities in Aguada, Moca, Rincón and Aguadilla as those areas have endured over a week without water service from the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA).

González Arroyo sharply criticized the “complicit silence” of the district’s legislators, stating their responsibilities go beyond mere photo opportunities.

“Thousands of families, businesses, and schools are suffering, and yet the public corporation seems content to offer updates without any real plan to fix a problem that has lingered for decades,” she asserted.

Reflecting on her time in the island Senate, she recalled that the Pierluisi Urrutia administration, alongside Doriel Pagán Crespo’s PRASA, had allocated $5 million for a project aimed at addressing the water crisis in Culebrinas.

“Legislators have a duty to oversee these initiatives,” she stressed. “It’s high time we move beyond applause in the chamber; their role is far more significant.”

González Arroyo also pointed out a glaring discrepancy: “The way the current administration tackled the water crisis in the metropolitan area — with a state of emergency declared and a water czar, Engineer Carlos Pesquera Morales — stands in stark contrast to the neglect we’ve faced in the west. We’ve been grappling with these issues in Culebrinas for years, and clearly, the response we’ve received has been insufficient.”

She called for action.

“It’s essential for PRASA to formulate a concrete plan to finally tackle the ongoing issues in Culebrinas,” González Arroyo said. “We all deserve a better quality of life, especially since we continue to pay for these services, even when they are not delivered.”