PR Trade Commission Letter on Water Crisis

[Negron, Alberto]

Puerto Rico Trade Commission and Puerto Rican and Latino Legislators Request Coordination Meeting with Governor Lamont on Puerto Rico Water Infrastructure Crisis

 

Hartford, CT — The Connecticut–Puerto Rico Trade Commission and Puerto Rican and Latino legislators are requesting a meeting with Governor Ned Lamont to discuss the escalating water infrastructure crisis in Puerto Rico and explore coordinated support from Connecticut.

 

In a formal letter sent to the Governor, the leaders highlighted the urgent failure of Puerto Rico’s primary 72-inch Superaqueduct system in Bayamón, which has disrupted water service for more than 120,000 residents in the San Juan metropolitan area. The situation, compounded by extreme heat and emerging drought conditions, has already prompted emergency response measures, including activation of the Puerto Rico National Guard for water distribution.

 

The leaders emphasized that the crisis aligns directly with the intent of the Connecticut–Puerto Rico Trade Commission, established to strengthen economic, cultural, and strategic cooperation and ensure Connecticut can respond meaningfully to critical events affecting Puerto Rico.

“Given the deep cultural, economic, and familial ties between Connecticut and Puerto Rico, as well as the significant Puerto Rican population that calls Connecticut home, this issue is being felt directly in communities across our state,” the letter states.

 

Connecticut leaders also underscored the state’s capacity in water infrastructure, emergency management, public health systems, infrastructure finance, and climate resilience planning. Agencies such as the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Office of the State Treasurer, regional water authorities, and academic and private-sector partners may be able to provide technical and logistical support through coordinated channels.

The Connecticut National Guard, under the leadership of Major General Francis J. Evon, Jr., was also noted for its coordination capabilities, which could support future emergency logistics discussions under established intergovernmental frameworks such as EMAC, if formally activated by appropriate authorities.

 

The requested meeting would focus on four key objectives:

 

• Identifying immediate areas where Connecticut expertise may be most effectively applied
• Clarifying coordination pathways with Puerto Rico and federal partners
• Assessing appropriate mechanisms for technical, logistical, and financial assistance
• Ensuring any response remains coordinated, fiscally responsible, and consistent with intergovernmental protocols

 

The Commission and Puerto Rican and Latino legislators reiterated their readiness to assist the Governor’s office in advancing a structured, effective, and coordinated response.

“We would welcome the opportunity to meet with the Governor at his earliest convenience and stand ready to assist in any way that advances a coordinated and effective response.”

 

The letter was signed by the Co-Chairs of the Connecticut–Puerto Rico Trade Commission, State Representative Christopher Rosario and State Senator Jorge Cabrera, along with Puerto Rican and Latino Caucus Chair Representative Minnie González, Vice Chair Representative Juan Candelaria, and Black and Puerto Rican Caucus Chair Representative Antonio Felipe.