Political leaders demand transparency after PRASA board chairman resigns

Héctor del Río Jiménez, ex-chairman of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority board of governors (Facebook via Acueductos PR)

By THE STAR STAFF

The abrupt resignation of Héctor del Río Jiménez as chairman of the board of governors of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) intensified public scrutiny Thursday over how the public corporation has managed the ongoing drought and the newly implemented water‑rationing plan.

Del Río stepped down immediately, alleging that the decision to impose 48‑hour service interruptions was never presented to or discussed with the board he led. In a letter to board members, he wrote that announcing and executing a rationing plan “without prior consultation or discussion with the Board of Governors” made it impossible for him to continue responsibly in his role.

His departure comes as thousands of customers in the metropolitan area and surrounding municipalities began experiencing the first cycles of rationing triggered by critically low levels at the Carraízo and La Plata reservoirs. PRASA officials have warned that the measures could be extended if drought conditions persist.

Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz reacted sharply to the resignation, criticizing both the state of the water system and the agency’s handling of the emergency. While acknowledging the aging and deteriorated infrastructure, he stressed that the crisis demands precise coordination.

He noted that the system, weakened by years of obsolescence and now strained by severe drought, requires “surgical precision in the management of valves and control of reservoir levels every 48 hours.” Rivera Schatz questioned whether PRASA’s leadership is equipped to manage the complexity of the situation, pointing out that the board was excluded from the decision‑making process.

Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera also raised concerns, arguing that the crisis reflects not only a lack of rainfall but a lack of administrative capacity.

“In PRASA there are two droughts: the one caused by lack of rain and the one caused by lack of capacity,” he said, urging greater transparency regarding internal processes and how the rationing plan was approved.

Del Río revealed that he had originally submitted his resignation on July 3, but at the request of Gov. Jenniffer González Colón agreed to remain until mid‑September to ensure an orderly transition. He said the unilateral handling of the rationing decision changed that scenario entirely.

He emphasized that the board must play an active role in major decisions, particularly those that directly affect the public. Despite the controversy, del Río highlighted accomplishments during his eight‑and‑a‑half‑year tenure, including financial stabilization, debt optimization, and securing capital for infrastructure improvements.

In the hours following the news of del Río’s resignation, however, the governor questioned why the PRASA governing board did not meet more frequently during the drought. She noted that the drought had been forecast as early as March and May, that the Drought Committee had been meeting weekly since June 1, and that the water utility’s board had the authority to call special meetings.

“If we are in an emergency situation -- a drought situation -- and you see the governor of Puerto Rico holding public press conferences every week with all the relevant groups, the very least that should have been done was to convene regularly,” González Colón said during a press conference at a public secondary school in Orocovis, where she was marking the start of the new school year.

The governor added that the PRASA board held a meeting on July 17 where, she recalled, plans for potential service interruptions were discussed because the Carraízo reservoir was at risk of running dry before the end of the month.

When asked directly whether del Río had been informed about the rationing, the governor deferred the answer to PRASA’s executive president, Luis R. González Delgado, who subsequently denied that del Río was unaware of the rationing plans and asserted that the board chairman received information about the potential interruptions on “multiple occasions,” including a direct communication two days before his resignation.

“It is important to clarify that the drought situation and the measures implemented or evaluated by PRASA to protect the water supply were discussed with the Board of Directors on multiple occasions,” González Delgado said in a written statement.

The resignation marks one of the most significant developments since the drought emergency began, exposing apparent tensions between PRASA’s executive management and its governing board over how one of the agency’s most consequential decisions in recent years was made.

The governor said she must now await a shortlist of three candidates, prepared according to the procedure established by law, to select the person who will replace del Río as the finance specialist member. The appointment will require the advice and consent of the Senate.