Ondeo leads govt. agency complaint list

Puerto Rico's Ombudsman's Office reports that private operator Ondeo, which administers the aqueduct & sewerage authority (AAA) has the highest number of complaints filed against it of 114 government agencies, Caribbean Business reported. This year there were 1,600 complaints filed, related to excessive billing, interruption of service, and broken water and sewage pipes. Last year, the company was second on the complaints list, the paper added. AAA and Ondeo are in the process of negotiating the termination of Ondeo's operating contract of the utility and returning it to government control, BNamericas previously reported. The separation should be ready by mid-December, and the six-month transition process will begin in January. Ondeo took over a 10-year operating concession in July 2002. The company claims there were mistakes in the data when the contract was signed, BNamericas previously reported. Larger cities such as capital San Juan, Caguas and Ponce had 50% more water pipes than thought. Ondeo had requested an additional US$93mn to operate the island's water system, while according to the government contract, Ondeo receives US$385mn/year to operate AAA. AAA has not yet provided an official statement regarding the matter, BNamericas learned after contacting the authority.