Governor said exploring managerial changes at PRASA

By THE STAR STAFF

Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano announced Thursday that Gov. Jenniffer González Colón will soon announce administrative changes at the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) amid the water crisis affecting thousands of clients in the greater San Juan metropolitan area.

During an interview on the Primer Round program, Peña Payano confirmed that the governor is evaluating adjustments to the public corporation’s management structure.

“It must be adjustments that she believes will improve the administration of the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority,” the official said when questioned about possible changes at the public corporation.

Peña Payano said the governor will determine when she will make the changes public, although he acknowledged that there is already an intention on González Colón’s part to implement administrative modifications at PRASA.

“I would wait, and the governor said that she is going to make some administrative changes,” he said.

The official noted that the final determination will rest with the PRASA governing board, the body responsible for approving appointments.

The remarks come at a time when the public corporation is under scrutiny for failing to deal with water service interruptions affecting residents of San Juan, Guaynabo, Carolina, Trujillo Alto and other municipalities in the metropolitan region for weeks.

When questioned whether the current management of PRASA still has the governor’s confidence, Peña Payano replied that “at the moment it does have the confidence of the governor,” although he insisted that additional announcements will be made soon regarding the utility’s administrative future.

So far, La Fortaleza has not specified which positions would be impacted by the changes or when the new appointments will be officially announced.

Governor announces $216 million investment to modernize water plants

A day earlier, González Colón said in a recorded message that her administration is addressing electrical and potable water infrastructure problems caused by decades of underinvestment and a lack of maintenance.

“Two of the biggest challenges I have faced as governor are the problems with electrical and potable water infrastructure,” the governor said. “Both stem from a lack of investment and maintenance over decades.”

In the message, the governor noted that the Sergio Cuevas water treatment plant in Trujillo Alto is the primary water production facility for the metropolitan area, serving more than 190,000 customers.

“However, it hasn’t been modernized in over 10 years,” she said. “Its equipment is operating while damaged and well past its useful life.”

González Colón also noted that the Finca Rosso facility in Bayamón pumps water to more than 60,000 customers in Bayamón, Guaynabo and San Juan, and suffered severe damage last year due to voltage fluctuations from LUMA Energy.

Regarding the Enrique Ortega filtration plant in Toa Alta, the governor said power outages caused by LUMA took the system offline.

“This didn’t happen overnight, and it won’t be solved through improvisation either,” she said.

González Colón said her administration identified and launched projects to address the infrastructure supporting the potable water system.

“Work is already underway to rebuild, restore water capacity, and strengthen our system,” she said.

The governor stated that $216 million is being invested to modernize plants, part of a total of over $7 billion in potable water projects across various municipalities.