Puerto Rico’s federal fiscal oversight board has not approved or rejected Gov. Jenniffer González Colón’s request to spend $9.7 million reactivating five water wells during the island’s drought — it wants more information first.
The Financial Oversight and Management Board’s executive director, Robert F. Mujica Jr., told the governor in a letter Friday that the board needs additional detail on the wells’ feasibility, water quality, contamination risks, activation timeline, expected production and cost breakdown before it can complete its review.
González requested $9,688,345 from the Emergency Reserve to evaluate, rehabilitate and reactivate five public water wells: Dorado Dairy No. 1, Dorado Dairy No. 2, Maguayo No. 2, Campanilla No. 8 and Levittown No. 4. Officials say the wells could add roughly 5 million gallons of water a day to the metropolitan system.
Mujica acknowledged in the letter that the current drought constitutes an emergency, but flagged a longer-term concern: reactivating the wells could create ongoing operational, maintenance and monitoring costs that outlast the current drought emergency. The government has said those recurring costs would later be absorbed into AAA’s regular certified budget.
Not a rejection
The board’s letter doesn’t reject the funding request — it’s a request for more information before a final decision. Engineer Carlos Pesquera, who was named to help stabilize the water system, has said the wells could be rehabilitated within 30 days and usable within 60.
Related coverage: Condado Water Rationing Paused as Carraízo Rebounds, Governor Seeks $9.7M for Five Wells
Sources: El Nuevo Día, Primera Hora, NotiCel
