Governor expects partial restoration of Superaqueduct service by weekend
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
By THE STAR STAFF
Gov. Jenniffer González Colón said Wednesday that repair work on the 72-inch North Coast Superaqueduct (Superacueducto) pipeline is progressing according to plan and that the partial restoration of drinking water service could begin between Friday and the weekend.
“The repair should be completed tomorrow [Thursday]. So, it is being run within the original estimates given by the Acueductos [Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA)], from 48 to 76 hours, and it is running within this schedule,” the governor said during a visit to the site of the pipeline breach in Manatí. “It will be completed, God willing, and if we don’t have any other situation that affects the crews’ plan. And once that happens, the first towns to receive the water resupply will be Arecibo, Barceloneta, Manatí, and subsequently San Juan.”
González Colón noted that the break occurred in one of the pipe’s metal rings and that the work consists of structural welding, not a temporary repair.
“This isn’t a patch, but a major repair,” she said. “The government of Puerto Rico can’t allow this major situation to end up in the middle of a two-day repair, just to make progress. That’s why multiple teams are contracted to the company doing the work.”
The governor noted that the area was completely submerged when the work began.
“[PRASA]’s machinery came in, and everything was submerged in water, like a swamp. So, it had to be dried out and the ground removed to be able to reach it and uncover part of the famous ‘superpipe,’ which brings water to the metropolitan area, all the way from Manatí to Juncos and Gurabo,” she said.
PRASA Executive President Luis González Delgado estimated the initial cost of the repairs at around $200,000.
“We started with the contractor at a quarter of a million dollars,” he said. “We need to quantify the dynamics of the trucks, which are also a cost we are incurring.”
The governor added that the final expense will include the mobilization of water tankers and support for the municipalities.
“We are currently talking about the initial estimate of almost $200,000 for this initial mobilization, but we must eventually account for all the water tankers being supplied to all the affected municipalities,” she said.
Regarding the water supply while the repairs continue, González Colón said that coordination with the municipalities and the National Guard is ongoing.
“The executive director of the Aqueducts has spoken with all the mayors of the towns that will be affected, and they have coordinated the oases,” she said. “I activated the National Guard to also help with the water supply.”
She added that the Tourism Company and the Department of Education are also collaborating on the supply efforts.
“The tourism company is currently supplying 22 hotel routes, because we also have occupancy, and this is also happening with schools,” González Colón. “The Department of Education is supplying cisterns in the schools.”
The governor gave assurances that the cost of the repair will not be passed on to PRASA customers.
“No, because this is a situation that occurs in critical infrastructure,” she said. “There was nothing unusual here; there was an explosion, a rupture in one of these pipes. This will not be passed on to the customer; on the contrary, we are investing all the resources we need to ensure that people’s water is restored as quickly as possible.”
The governor added that although the break was not foreseeable, additional investments in plants and distribution systems are being considered.
“There are some plants that will be modernized, that will be replaced; for example, in the Guaynabo area, the existing plant cannot keep up, so we will have to make some investments there,” she said. “Some of them are budgeted, others would have to be budgeted.”
Addressing the issue of the system’s age, the governor emphasized that the pipeline is still within its useful life.
“I asked the engineer how long one of these concrete pipes is supposed to last, and he told me 50 years. So we’re halfway there, 25,” González Colón said. “But the concrete wasn’t the problem; the problem is the joint. This isn’t unique to Puerto Rico. These types of breaks happen. What happens is that the magnitude of these breaks and the high demand we have in the metropolitan area requires us to use a system that has been neglected.”
The governor emphasized that the response plan was swift and coordinated with the mayors.
“As soon as the area residents reported a strong smell of chlorine and a noise, the Authority immediately acted.”
“We notified you and began the plan directly with the mayors, the transportation department, and emergency contracting to handle this,” she said.
No extended chlorination needed after repairs
Following a joint technical assessment by the island Department of Health and PRASA, officials confirmed that no extended sanitation or chlorination process would be required before restoring full water service after the breakdown in the superaqueduct pipeline.
Health Secretary Víctor Ramos Otero and González Delgado, the PRASA chief, announced the findings after a pair of meetings between the two agencies concluded late Tuesday night. The study determined that water flow and pressure remained at levels high enough during the repair to prevent the infiltration of sediment or external contaminants.
“Our Environmental Health and PRASA teams conducted a detailed assessment of the system’s flow and pressure, and confirmed that the water maintained safe drinking standards throughout the incident,” Ramos Otero said.
He added that physical monitoring showed no compromise to the system’s integrity, eliminating the need for extended valve closures or additional sanitation procedures -- steps that typically delay service restoration by 10 to 12 hours.
“This is good news for residents and health facilities in the affected municipalities,” Ramos Otero said. “The technical coordination between our agencies ensured a safe and rapid process without compromising public health.”
González Delgado praised the swift and collaborative work of the inspection teams.
“Thanks to the speed of the repair and the sustained pressure in the system, we avoided the infiltration of air or debris that would normally require further cleaning,” he said.
PRASA Vice President of Operations Luis Josué Ortiz Salgado noted that water quality will continue to be monitored in areas where service is being restored. He urged residents to follow basic safety recommendations, particularly in homes where water has remained stagnant for more than 24 hours.