The breakdowns that a month and a half ago left thousands of consumers in the metropolitan area without drinking water service or affected by low pressures remain unresolved, San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero said Sunday, who assured that if he were in the governor’s position Jenniffer González, he would have already made changes in the leadership of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (Prasa).

“Thank God, I have had a very frank and open communication with the Governor on this issue.... She is going to make some changes, that corresponds to the Executive, to the corporation, but, with me, I would have thrown him out, I would have taken him out“, said Romero, referring to the president of the public corporation Luis González Delgado.

At the end of July, thousands of Prasa customers faced service problems. The rupture of a 54-inch diameter pipe that supplied raw water to the Sergio Cuevas filtration plant in Trujillo Alto triggered a series of events that exacerbated the service problems that already existed in the metropolitan area and exposed problems at the administrative level.

"I say this with great respect, I believe that the management of Acueductos is not giving the minimum grade, it is not giving it. These are problems every week, which did not happen before. Three months ago, the infrastructure of Acueductos was the same, it was weak, we had leaks, but there was administrative competence and the issues were handled," said Romero during a press conference.

The municipal executive shared that he has yet to meet with Prasa’s Metro Region Director, Luis González Traverso, despite the fact that he has held the post since June. The first communication from the official requesting a meeting, Romero said, was received on September 9.

"It is not that before June there were no problems, but there was an answer. Now, there is no answer.... Those who know me know that I don’t like to get into controversies, but they are not doing their job, and jobs in government are measured by results, they are not measured by words... and, in that sense, I am extremely concerned," he said.

On Friday, the Governor announced that “there will be changes” in “public policy” and personnel at Prasa. He noted that some moves will be for positions that have not been recruited and, in other cases, there may be “people (who) will be more effective in other areas.” In addition, he anticipated the release this week of the report on the system’s operation prepared by engineer Carlos Pesquera, who in the midst of the emergency was appointed by the governor as “special coordinator for the Stabilization of Potable Water”.

Romero indicated that the upper parts of Santurce, such as the communities of Sagrado Corazón and Miraflores, continue to face problems with the supply, as well as the area of Cupey. “We are here to collaborate, but for the fact that I want to collaborate, I would not forgive myself for remaining mute.... (The situation) has not improved, that is the answer,” said Romero, acknowledging “some attempts at communication” that, in his opinion, have not been effective.

The New Progressive Party(NPP) mayor also said that Prasa, in a way, has relied on the municipal administration to supply tanker trucks to communities without service. “If I have to put the municipality’s trucks to provide service to all the communities, I will do it without a problem, as we are doing now... but it is not like that either, because the people who pay the water bill are Prasa customers; they charge for the water,” Romero said.