Second Vice President Marissa Jiménez Santoni toured Condado’s drainage system, pump stations and three sea discharge points Tuesday. The Senate says it will ask for recent water-quality test reports.
SAN JUAN — Senate Second Vice President Marissa “Marissita” Jiménez Santoni inspected the Condado storm drains on Tuesday, Oct. 27, examining the pipes, pump stations and three points where drainage water flows into the sea, the Senate said in a news release.
The site visit was part of Senate Resolution 310, authored by Sen. Ada Álvarez Conde. According to the release, the resolution also looks at whether the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) is complying with its agreements with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and seeks to give the public more access to information on water quality and contamination incidents.
Representatives of the San Juan municipality, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), the Health Department, the AAA and the Department of Transportation and Public Works joined the tour. So did community leader Amaury Rivera, who voiced concern about the discharges and about whether the infrastructure can handle the area’s growing construction.
Officials examined the condition of the storm pipes, sand buildup in channels and registers, how the suction pumps are working, and the need for better warning signs for residents and swimmers.
María Matos, the municipality’s director of environmental compliance, said San Juan has an agreement with the EPA that carries responsibilities for inspecting the storm system and addressing illegal connections. She said the agencies are also involved in a federal court case, with a work plan now being carried out, according to the release.
Matos said the Condado evaluation is complete and that the removal of illegal interconnections was ordered. She cautioned that those connections can be restored by people or businesses that ignore the orders, and said the municipality has inspection mechanisms and fines to enforce compliance.
DRNA regional director José Alvarado acknowledged that signs warning of strong currents have yet to be installed and committed to addressing it. On signs about possible contamination, he said the department does not presume contamination without evidence to support it. One of the three discharge points, at the end of Nairn Street behind Hospital Presbiteriano, already has a sign because the water is known to come from the De Diego Avenue pump house, he said.
“Protecting our coasts and the safety of our communities requires dialogue, coordination and concrete solutions,” Jiménez said in the release, in a statement translated from Spanish.
As a follow-up, the Senate will request recent water-quality test reports and related documents to evaluate the origin and composition of the discharged water, and the measures needed to address any risk to public health and the environment. Jiménez said the findings will serve as the basis for continued review and for considering a Senate public hearing. The release gives no date.
The release does not include water-quality results, and it does not say whether any of the three discharge points has tested above health limits. Condado Daily has not reviewed the federal case or its work plan.
Related coverage: Citizen Scientists to Survey Coral Reefs and Seagrass at Condado Lagoon Saturday
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Sources: Puerto Rico Senate news release, Oct. 27, 2026 (“Inspeccionan sistema de drenaje y puntos de descarga en Condado para evaluar posibles riesgos a la calidad del agua”); Senate Resolution 310.
Image: AI-generated illustration.
