Guaynabo, Puerto Rico -The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced an obligation of $113.6 million to the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) geared towards repairing the trunk sewers that transport raw sewage to water treatment plants throughout the island for the benefit of over 100,000 people.
The funds, which are for seven projects, are part of the $3.6 billion that the Agency approved to PRASA through the FEMA Accelerated Awards Strategy (FAASt) in 2021. The repairs will take place in seven trunk sewers, located in Camuy and Arecibo with an allocation of over $25 million; Caguas, with $24.1 million; Hormigueros and Mayagüez, with $21 million; Arroyo-Guayama, with $15 million; Ponce, with $14.3 million; Carolina and Loíza, with $8.2 million; and Vega Baja, with $6 million.
“These funds will provide the resources for Puerto Rico to improve nearly 82,000 linear meters of pipelines distributed throughout different sites on the island. These improvements will allow for a more efficient long-term use of water. Also, it will directly impact the health of communities by preventing wastewater overflows which can cause serious health problems," said the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator for Puerto Rico, José G. Baquero.
The pipes of the trunk sewers suffered damage because of the winds, floods and debris that traveled through them during Hurricane María, in addition to the sediment and blackouts that occurred because of the event.
The repairs of these pipelines are necessary to transport raw waters to the treatment plants with as less waste as possible. The treatment plants process the waters until they become adequate water for human, industrial or agricultural use; and eliminates any risk of contamination to the bodies of water on the area.
The work seeks to eliminate cracks and holes in the pipes that would otherwise allow roots and rainwater to enter and cause operational problems, such as stoppage, overflows and mechanical failures.
For her part, Doriel Pagán, PRASA’s Executive President stated that, through an innovative method to repair sewers, they will restore the damage to the sanitary culvert system without having to open trenches or ditches.
Rehabilitation will take place through the Cured-in-Place-Pipe (CIPP) restoration strategy. With this technique, pipes are repaired from the inside with a resin that “cures" or seals once it is in place. This work does not require excavation, which simplifies the process. The cured pipes offer efficiency and durability. Most of the restorations through this technique are designed to provide a life cycle of about 50 years.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), engineer Manuel A. Laboy Rivera, said that PRASA’s recovery work continues at a steady pace. “The obligation of funds for these new recovery projects will provide more resiliency to the system to support the continuity of services directed towards customers."
The $3.6 billion allocation approved last year through FAASt will contribute to the restoration of 3,000 permanent projects, which include water and wastewater treatment plants, dams and reservoirs, among other PRASA critical water infrastructure that provides drinking water to its clients.
FAASt is possible thanks to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA), which ensures that Puerto Rico rebuilds its critical service facilities according to current industry standards and without regard to pre-disaster conditions.
For more information on Puerto Rico's recovery from Hurricane María, please visit fema.gov/es/disaster/4339 and recuperacion.pr. Follow our social media pages at Facebook.com/FEMAPuertoRico, Facebook.com/COR3pr and Twitter @COR3pr
Source: Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency
