Puerto Rico legislators propose new water service rights and billing credits

Legislative measures are being proposed in Puerto Rico to strengthen the rights of water utility customers facing service interruptions and billing disputes. House Bill 1334 proposes a 20 percent discount on base charges if service is interrupted for 24 hours, with additional discounts for every subsequent 24-hour period, potentially reaching a 100 percent monthly billing reduction.

Senator Roxanna I. Soto Aguilú has introduced Senate Bill 1433, which would require the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) to activate alternative water supplies, such as water trucks or mobile tanks, after 24 consecutive hours of service interruption in a community. The proposal also seeks to protect consumers during billing disputes by suspending disputed amounts and preventing service disconnection or penalties while investigations are conducted.

Luis Reinaldo González Delgado, CEO of the AAA, has expressed opposition to automatic billing credits. He warned that such measures could jeopardize the agency's financial stability and its ability to repay debt. González Delgado argued that service interruptions do not necessarily equate to a lack of consumption that can be easily quantified and noted that a 100 percent credit for a five-day outage might be disproportionate to the total billing cycle.