Measure filed to spur action on chronic water service deficiencies in Arecibo
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
By THE STAR STAFF
In response to the chronic lack of drinking water service that has beset the residents of the Arrozal neighborhood of Arecibo’s Los Muertos sector for years, Arecibo District Sen. Brenda Pérez Soto has filed Senate Resolution (SR) 413 with the purpose of investigating the management of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) in the island’s northern region.
Los Muertos is one of the many municipal sectors on the island facing constant interruptions in their drinking water service (see related story on page 4). Last December, residents marked a full year without service, despite numerous efforts by Pérez Soto to address the situation. The legislator has held numerous meetings with residents and has personally brought supervisors and directors from the PRASA northern region to the community; however, the problem has remained unresolved.
According to reports, water service in the area is intermittent, with more days without water than with service restored. All the same, billing from PRASA continues as if service were continuous. During the year in which the sector was largely without potable water, residents received bills ranging from $125 to $200 per month, a situation raised in multiple meetings with PRASA representatives, who promised to address it but failed to produce any concrete results.
SR 413 orders the Senate Planning, Permits, Infrastructure and Urbanism Committee to evaluate and investigate the matter, in order to identify responsibilities and real solutions to the problem that directly affects residents’ quality of life.
“This situation in the Arrozal neighborhood, Los Muertos sector, is completely unacceptable,” Pérez Soto said. “Everyone knows what’s happening, including staff at [PRASA], but I still don’t understand why concrete action isn’t being taken with the information they already have. On many occasions, during my follow-up calls, I’ve been able to confirm that the attention given to this problem is inconsistent. When they do intervene, the water comes on for a day or two and then it stops again.”
The senator also emphasized that Los Muertos is a community with a vulnerable population.
“We are talking about senior citizens, bedridden people, and families who cannot depend on water only arriving when regional media outlets cover the situation and a few tanker trucks show up,” she said. “This cannot continue to be the norm.”
Pérez Soto also announced that she will be filing new investigative resolutions related to other neighborhoods and sectors in the Arecibo District that face similar situations, in order to identify the root of the problem and achieve urgent and permanent solutions for the affected communities.