Loíza, Canóvanas and Río Grande added to water emergency declaration

By THE STAR STAFF

The Puerto Rico government will be amending its water emergency executive order to include the municipalities of Loíza, Canóvanas, and Río Grande, according to Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano.

Peña Payano said the government has maintained drought and water-rationing protocols for Loíza and Canóvanas since June 24, even before the latest emergency expansion. He explained that authorities chose to keep the protocols in place because water conditions remained uncertain.

The official noted that the affected municipalities rely heavily on river systems whose water levels fluctuate daily. As a result, government agencies closely monitored conditions before determining that scheduled water rationing might become necessary.

“We kept the protocol active because the situation could change quickly,” Peña Payano said, adding that officials were able to avoid implementing scheduled rationing for more than a week while monitoring water supplies.

Addressing concerns about communication with local governments, Peña Payano said municipal leaders had been informed throughout the process and received the latest notification on Sunday.

The secretary also defended planned maintenance work by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) in the metropolitan area, saying the projects were coordinated with previously announced power outages by LUMA Energy. The work includes improvements at the Sergio Cuevas filtration plant, Carraízo, and Finca Rosso 1 and 2 in Bayamón.

According to Peña Payano, the AAA took advantage of LUMA’s scheduled electrical interruptions to carry out infrastructure improvements that otherwise would have required separate service shutdowns.

He said the projects were announced on July 2 and are expected to be completed between Tuesday and Wednesday. The improvements at the Sergio Cuevas facility are part of a broader investment initiative announced by the governor that is expected to benefit approximately 820,000 families in the metropolitan region.

Government officials continue to monitor drought conditions and water availability as Puerto Rico faces ongoing challenges related to reduced water resources