Governor activates agencies to support all 78 towns amid drought

Secretary of State Rosachely Rivera Santana is overseeing the logistics of coordination between agency heads and municipalities.

By THE STAR STAFF

In light of the persistent drought forecast for the island -- which has reached the “extreme drought” category in some regions -- Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced on Sunday the launch of a large-scale government mobilization effort.

Secretary of State Rosachely Rivera Santana is overseeing the logistics of coordination between agency heads and municipalities, all while the administration simultaneously executes multi-sector drought mitigation strategies, secures definitive legal victories regarding the electrical grid, and oversees a historically successful start to the school year.

During Sunday’s “Weekly Briefing” press conference, Rivera Santana and Energy Czar Josué A. Colón Ortiz -- who also serves as executive director of the Public-Private Partnerships Authority -- detailed the government’s response aimed at protecting reservoirs and ensuring a reliable supply of potable water for the public.

Massive deployment of agency heads to municipalities

As a cornerstone of the government’s response to the 48-hour scheduled service interruption plan implemented by the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) to protect water levels at the Carraízo Reservoir, the governor activated the Interagency Plan for Municipal Support.

Under the direct coordination of the secretary of state, the strategy assigns a specific agency head or public corporation director to each municipality. Those officials serve as direct liaisons, channeling urgent needs, overseeing the distribution of emergency water stations (“oases”), and expediting technical solutions in collaboration with mayors and municipal teams. Other government initiatives addressing the drought include:

Community cisterns and ‘oasis’ stations in public housing

Juan Rosario Hernández, head of the Public Housing Administration, directly coordinated the installation of community cisterns to mitigate the impact on high-density housing complexes. In the first phase, work began at the Las Margaritas (20 cisterns, 1,000 gallons each) and Las Casas (six cisterns) complexes in San Juan. Concurrently, potable water was distributed directly to residents of the island’s largest public housing complex, Residencial Luis Lloréns Torres, with logistical support from the Puerto Rico Fire Department.

Advanced scientific monitoring of aquifers

To protect groundwater supplies, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources is strengthening monitoring of the southern aquifer and the Rasa well in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey to prevent saltwater intrusion. These efforts include field inspections and the use of drone technology to continuously assess bodies of water in vulnerable areas.

Consumer protection and economic stability

The Department of Consumer Affairs is maintaining strict price-freeze orders for items, equipment and services related to water management. Additionally, the Department of Economic Development and Commerce is offering a financial incentive of up to $5,000 to small and midsize enterprises affected by the reduction in potable water supplies caused by the drought.

Municipally endorsed scheduled service interruption plan

As a responsible measure to preserve the Carraízo Reservoir, a plan for scheduled service interruptions in alternating 48-hour cycles was established in consensus with the affected mayors. The plan took effect last Friday in sectors of San Juan, Carolina, Trujillo Alto, Canóvanas, Loíza, Gurabo, and Juncos with daily monitoring maintained by PRASA.