Senator calls for PRASA chief to testify as water failures persist across PR

Popular Democratic Party Sen. Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz, second from left, demanded that the head of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority be summoned before the island Senate following a series of ongoing water service failures reported across multiple municipalities.

By THE STAR STAFF

Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Sen. Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz on Monday demanded that the head of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) be summoned before the island Senate following a series of ongoing water service failures reported across multiple municipalities.

Hernández Ortiz, the PDP minority leader in the upper chamber, criticized the agency for what he described as widespread breakdowns and an apparent lack of urgency in addressing them. He also questioned why, despite millions allotted for infrastructure upgrades, little progress has been made.

“Today we are requesting intervention with the president of PRASA, and we will be submitting a resolution for an investigation,” Hernández Ortiz said. “Eighty‑two percent of the funds, which amount to over $4 million, are being held up. There is a burst pipe in Morovis, residents of Corozal have told me they have been without water for months, and many Puerto Ricans have been complaining about this ordeal. We want the president of [PRASA] to face the public and explain why we are experiencing this situation.”

The senator’s comments come amid heightened public frustration over recurring water interruptions across the island.

San Juan and surrounding municipalities have faced repeated and significant water service disruptions over the past year. In July 2025, a major rupture in a 54‑inch main connected to the Sergio Cuevas water treatment plant disrupted service across San Juan, Carolina and Loíza, leaving thousands without water for days. Although physical repairs were completed within hours, restoration lagged and many residents remained without service. Officials acknowledged that the incident raised broader concerns about deteriorating infrastructure and poor coordination between PRASA and local governments. 

The crisis deepened later the same month when a breakdown at the Sergio Cuevas plant, compounded by another large pipeline failure, left more than 183,000 residents without reliable water service. Some communities went weeks without water, forcing businesses to close and prompting San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo to declare a state of emergency. Critics pointed to aging infrastructure and insufficient maintenance as root causes. 

By early 2026, PRASA was still carrying out emergency repairs at the Carraízo dam system after additional interruptions in the metropolitan area. Water pumping had to be halted overnight, again leaving sectors of San Juan without service for hours. 

Concerns over access to telemetry data

New Progressive Party Sen. Juan Oscar Morales Rodríguez also criticized PRASA’s leadership Monday, questioning the agency’s decision to restrict legislators and mayors from the telemetry system -- a platform that shows real‑time water flow across the network.

“I want PRASA to explain whether these recent administrative actions are retaliation or due to incompetence,” Morales said. “I believe it’s a move in response to the public statements made by Mayor Miguel Romero.”

The repeated breakdowns have prompted widespread scrutiny of PRASA’s management. Last year, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón activated the National Guard and declared a state of emergency after water outages affected nearly 180,000 residents, noting that dozens of communities had already been grappling with long‑standing water‑supply problems before the larger failure. 

With the Senate now considering an investigation and public frustration at a peak, lawmakers across party lines say the agency must provide clear answers and accelerate long‑delayed infrastructure projects.