Puerto Rico's governor says construction has started on a USD 54 million water treatment plant that will serve the US territory's central eastern region.
Alejandro Garcia Padilla says the plant will filter 7 million gallons (26.5 million litres) of water a day and begin operating in September 2016. He said yesterday that the plant is expected to provide long-awaited potable water to 22,000 families.
Garcia says a second phase will see construction of a USD 300 million reservoir capable of storing more than 3 billion gallons (11 billion litres) of water.
He says construction will start in May 2014 and the reservoir will allow the plant to treat up to 15 million gallons (57 million litres) of water a day.
Both projects are expected to create more than 3,000 jobs.
