Governor announces $244.5 million FEMA disbursement to advance critical infrastructure projects

Governor González Colón announces $244.5 million in FEMA funds for critical infrastructure projects.

By THE STAR STAFF

Governor Jenniffer González Colón announced on Sunday the release of $244.5 million in federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to accelerate the reconstruction of essential infrastructure, including potable water, electric power, public housing, and municipal roads.

According to the governor, the investment will help advance strategic projects to strengthen the island’s critical infrastructure and ensure the continuity of essential services for thousands of residents across multiple municipalities.

The newly released funds include $193.2 million for the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA); $41.2 million for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (AEE), including $1.6 million for LUMA‑executed work; $9 million for the Public Housing Administration (AVP); and $1.1 million for the Municipality of Adjuntas.

From January through August, the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience (COR3) has disbursed approximately $1.3 billion in FEMA‑assigned federal funds for Puerto Rico’s reconstruction.

“Each disbursement represents projects moving forward, and with that, communities gaining safer and more resilient infrastructure,” said COR3 Executive Director María L. Marín Colón. She emphasized that the agency remains committed to processing funding requests swiftly so subrecipients have the resources they need to maintain project momentum.

Marín Colón noted that FEMA programs operate through reimbursement or advance mechanisms, depending on the type of request and the progress of each project.

One of the projects receiving an advance—$75 million—is the reconstruction of the Sergio Cuevas Water Treatment Plant, one of Puerto Rico’s most important potable water facilities. The AAA project includes modernizing flow‑measurement systems, rehabilitating tanks and sludge‑treatment components, and installing new pumps and other essential equipment to improve reliability and efficiency.

Another AAA project, awarded $35.8 million, will rehabilitate the Culebrinas Water Treatment Plant and Pumping Station in Aguadilla, benefiting more than 18,500 families in the region.

For the AEE, most of the funding will support vegetation‑management projects, a key strategy to reduce service interruptions and improve grid reliability. The government has also incorporated the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to accelerate work along critical transmission corridors, expanding operational capacity and reducing outage risks caused by overgrown vegetation.

The $9 million allocated to the AVP will support improvements across six public housing complexes, including roof waterproofing, drainage restoration, replacement of doors, windows, and lighting systems, as well as structural and architectural repairs.

The Municipality of Adjuntas will receive $1.1 million to repair a roadway in the Yahuecas sector, improving access and strengthening local transportation infrastructure.