Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Sept. 6, 2026 — Jalisco lawmakers approved two formal requests Thursday addressing water failures and unreliable garbage collection in Puerto Vallarta.
One asks SEAPAL Vallarta to consider full 2026 bill relief for affected households. The other presses City Hall to stabilize garbage pickup and explain its handling of a failed concession.
Neither measure grants a discount or changes collection service by itself. The agreements are legislative requests directed to the authorities controlling those decisions.
Our review of the Legislature’s official session notice and approval bulletin places the vote on Thursday, Sept. 3. That corrects a date given in some local coverage.
No automatic water credit for residents
No SEAPAL account received an automatic credit through the congressional vote. The measure asks the utility to analyze whether it can offer the proposed relief.
The request seeks a 100% discount on water and sewer charges billed during 2026. It would apply to domestic customers in neighborhoods affected by service failures.
It also seeks a full waiver of related late charges and collection costs. Published summaries of the approval provide no application period, claims process or final list of qualifying neighborhoods.
The Legislature defines an agreement as a resolution establishing Congress’ position on a public issue. It is not a new law and does not require enactment by the governor.
For customers, that means existing bills remain in place unless SEAPAL formally approves and implements a relief program.
“If the service fails, people cannot be the ones who end up paying the consequences,” Canales said after the vote.
Water request extends beyond billing relief
The measure also asks SEAPAL to restore supply in neighborhoods experiencing intermittent service.
It calls for cleaning and desilting drainage structures, replacing missing sewer covers and preparing a diagnosis of Puerto Vallarta’s water and sewer system.
The complaints follow several large disruptions during 2026. An April failure involving a 24-inch water main affected much of northern Puerto Vallarta.
Highway-related pipe relocation caused another outage in June. SEAPAL said that work would affect 39% of the municipality’s neighborhoods and subdivisions for more than 24 hours.
The proposed relief is broader than those two incidents. It refers to domestic users affected by cuts, intermittent supply, discolored water or sewer problems during 2026.
Garbage measure seeks contract accounting
The second request calls on the municipal government to provide permanent, regular and efficient garbage collection.
It asks officials to prioritize areas with accumulated waste and follow the schedules and collection frequencies announced by City Hall.
The original filing cited complaints in Versalles, Floresta, Mojoneras, La Vena, San Esteban, Barrio Santa María, Infonavit and Estadio.
It also named Lomas del Coapinole, Vista Hermosa, Magisterio, Bobadilla, Loma Bonita, Palma Real, Valentín Gómez Farías, Ojo de Agua and Independencia.
“We want them to collect the garbage in Puerto Vallarta,” Canales said while presenting the measure in August.
Lawmakers also asked Mayor Luis Munguía to report any legal, administrative or financial action involving the former garbage concession.
The request specifically covers possible termination, rescission or breach. It also seeks an explanation of measures taken to protect municipal money.
The City Council approved the 15-year concession in December 2024. Municipal records identify Red Recolector and Red Ambiental as the operators.
The arrangement unraveled in March 2026. Red Ambiental stopped operating on March 31, and City Hall assumed collection and landfill management on April 1.
The company placed the municipality’s outstanding balance above 240 million pesos. The final amount and payment arrangement remained under negotiation in the months following the separation. Earlier reporting examined the debt and contract dispute.
Our review of municipal procurement records found a June tender to rent 26 garbage compactors. The page still listed the tender as active Sunday, although it displayed June 30 as the provisional contract-signing date.
Reporting water and sewer failures
SEAPAL accepts water, sewer, and service complaints through 073, 322-226-9191, and 322-226-9190. Its WhatsApp number is 322-105-8226.
The utility’s central office is at Avenida Francisco Villa and Manuel Ávila Camacho in Colonia Lázaro Cárdenas. Those contact details appear on SEAPAL’s service-reporting page.
