The Puerto Rico Aqueducts and Sewers Authority (AAA) announced it will adjust bills for customers who experienced water service interruptions in June, deducting for the days without service. AAA Customer Service Director Edna Borges said this Wednesday during a public hearing before the Senate's Transportation, Telecommunications, Public Services and Consumer Affairs Committee, which is reviewing compliance with Law 143-2018 on 'fair billing' during emergencies.
Borges said AAA is gathering data from operational areas on how many days sectors lacked water in order to calculate adjustments, noting this wasn't done for June billing because staff were focused on the emergency response. Senate committee chairman Héctor Joaquín Sánchez, of the New Progressive Party, questioned officials about customers billed despite lacking service, and noted some condominium residents were allegedly overbilled because meters kept registering water supplied by building cisterns.
Borges said adjustments will be based on the percentage of days without service, with customers who pay their bills receiving credit in August for future payments. AAA Executive President Luis González Delgado cited Regulation 8901 (dated January 27, 2017), which authorizes the agency to adjust bills when service isn't provided during emergencies, and said AAA is identifying and evaluating affected sectors.