What's happening? Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) in 15 municipalities affected by water shortages will be eligible for the new Programa de Incentivo de "Recuperación Económica", which offers up to $5,000 to cover extraordinary expenses incurred since June 1, the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) announced.
The announcement comes as Bayamón and Guaynabo prepare to supply drinking water to areas that will be without service during repairs at the Finca Rosso 1 filter plant, which begin today, Wednesday, and will continue through Friday.
Why it matters. The new incentive follows emergency declarations by Gov. Jenniffer González to address infrastructure deficiencies at the Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AAA) and technical problems at the La Plata facilities and the Superacueducto, which left thousands of customers without water for days and even weeks in several municipalities.
Towns that will benefit. Eligible SMBs include those in San Juan, Bayamón, Guaynabo, Carolina, Corozal, Loíza, Naranjito, Trujillo Alto, Vega Alta, Gurabo, Aguas Buenas, Juncos and Caguas. Canóvanas and Río Grande are also included; both towns have been under water rationing since mid-July.
Who qualifies. Businesses with annual sales of $350,000 or less and 25 or fewer full-time employees. No prior DDEC SMB certification is required.
The business must be active, comply with applicable laws, operate in an affected area and submit all required documentation.
Eligible expenses. Purchase of bottled water or water delivered by tanker truck; purchase or rental of tanks and cisterns; loss of inventory or perishable products; cleaning, disinfection and restoration of facilities, among others.
How to apply. The form will be available on the DDEC portal, desarrollo.pr.gov. Interested parties can call 787-758-4747 or write to premprende@ddec.pr.gov. The incentive will be available until funds run out.
Repairs at the Finca Rosso 1 plant: Bayamón and Guaynabo
Separately, the AAA announced that between Wednesday, July 29, and Friday, July 31, it will complete repairs at the Finca Rosso 1 filter plant in Bayamón, which serves more than 60,000 customers in Bayamón and Guaynabo and is being carried out with an investment of $10.7 million. This could reduce pressure or interrupt water service from Wednesday through Sunday in the areas farthest from the plant.
According to AAA Metropolitan Region executive director José Rivera Ortiz, this final phase involves integrating the new pumping infrastructure into the existing system.
Water distribution points in Bayamón. Areas affected by the repairs include PR-174 and La Morenita. The municipality has deployed tanker trucks to reach affected communities. There will also be three water distribution points active from July 29 through July 31:
Parking lot of the Iglesia Discípulos de Cristo, in the La Palma sector,
In front of the police station, in La Morenita,
Baseball field, Collores sector.
Water distribution points in Guaynabo. Affected areas include Canta Gallo and Guaraguao. The municipality will have 16 tanker trucks carrying 8,000 gallons each to bring water to communities, as well as distribution points at:
Escuela Juanillo Fuentes, in Santa Rosa I,
Centro de Servicios Múltiples, in Santa Rosa II,
Pórticos de Guaynabo, in Santa Rosa III,
Centro de Servicios Múltiples, in Guaraguao.
Cover photo: Tanker truck in Puerto Rico (Ricardo Arduengo | Getty Images)
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
