RICO’ s Q — Last Thursday afternoon and into Friday evening, thousands of people in Santa Ana and Escazú found themselves without water. The culprit? A contractor being incompetent during the reconstruction of the Calle Lajas bridge.
The water utility, Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA), called it a burst main water pipe near the construction site.
Santa Ana’s mayor, Juan José Vargas Fallas, posted a video on social media explaining what really happened. It turns out the work crew accidentally damaged a water main—a concrete-encased pipe running under the bridge—despite clear warnings to handle it with care.
That’s why AyA had to shut off the water.
At first, no one really noticed the water slowing down, but as the hours passed, faucets started to run dry. The neighborhoods downtown Santa Ana and west Escazú were the first to feel the pinch.
This mess could have been avoided. It’s not rocket science — when you dig out the earth beneath a pipe, especially the whole support holding it up, it’s bound to crack or snap.
Those pipes should have been taken out halfway through the earthmoving and demolition of the old bridge’s base.
For many, waking up on Friday morning without water was a surprise. While this time it wasn’t AyA’s fault, they do have a history of doing work without telling the public, even when it’s something simple. Lots of communities end up without water for days without a heads-up. Repairs like this are necessary, sure, but a little communication wouldn’t hurt—it doesn’t cost anything to be responsible.
The message on Friday was, If you’re in Escazú or Santa Ana, hang tight. AyA will be delivering drinking water through tanker trucks while the outage lasts.