Puerto Rico water outage leaves over 100,000 without service after pipe break

A rupture in a pipe of the Superacueducto in Bayamón caused temporary water service interruptions for more than 100,000 customers across the San Juan metropolitan area and neighboring municipalities, including Bayamón, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Isla Verde, Loíza, Caguas, Juncos and Aguas Buenas.

Governor Jenniffer González declared a state of emergency, activating the Puerto Rico National Guard and deploying water tankers to the affected communities. The government and the Authority of Aqueducts and Sewers (AAA) agreed to credit the bills of customers who suffered repeated outages. The Department of Consumer Affairs froze prices for bottled water, ice and cistern rentals, with Secretary Hiram Torres Montalvo stating, "In moments of emergency, we will not allow abuse of the people's need." Repairs involve excavating to reach the damaged pipe, while officials note that island reservoirs remain at safe levels and the crisis stems from aging infrastructure and decades of insufficient maintenance.