A routine bit of electrical maintenance is about to ripple into the everyday stuff: showers, laundry, even morning coffee. On Friday afternoon, a planned power cut will pause key pumping operations, and that means water pressure could sag or disappear across dozens of north-side Puerto Vallarta colonias. The window is long enough to catch people off guard, but short enough that smart prep makes a real difference. If you live on a hill or in a newer “ampliación,” it’s worth checking the affected zones now.
A power cut that stops the pumps
Puerto Vallarta’s north-side water service is set for a disruption this Friday, January 23, tied to a scheduled electricity outage. The Federal Electricity Commission, known as the CFE, is planning a temporary interruption on electrical lines so crews can carry out maintenance or modifications on medium- and high-voltage installations.
SEAPAL, the city’s water utility (Sistema de Agua Potable, Drenaje y Alcantarillado), says the power interruption will affect its operations and translate into reduced water service in about 40 neighborhoods in the northern part of the city. In practical terms, residents should expect low pressure, intermittent flow, or taps running dry for extended periods.
Timing and what to expect at the tap
The water impact is expected to begin at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, with power restoration estimated for the early hours of Saturday, January 24. Even after electricity returns, water service may not feel “normal” everywhere at once. Systems like this often need time to restart the pump and recover tank levels, so some homes—especially those at higher elevations—can see a slower return to steady pressure.
If you’re in a building that depends on stored water (a tinaco or cisterna), what you experience may depend on how full your reserve is as the afternoon progresses and how quickly it gets replenished once pressure returns.
Neighborhoods expected to be affected
SEAPAL’s advisory focuses on colonias north of Puerto Vallarta, including El Calvario; Vista Dorada and its three extensions; Loma Bonita; Las Arboledas; Leandro Valle; Lomas del Calvario; Magisterio; Morelos y Pavón; Paseos Hipódromo; Prados de la Higuera; Rancho Alegre; Residencial Lisboa; Bobadilla; Brisas del Pacífico; Coapinole; Copa del Rey; and Volcanes along with its extension.
Also included are Vista Hermosa and its three extensions; El Mangal; Jardines de la Higuera; La Carbonera; La Floresta; Villa del Real; Vista a la Puesta del Sol; Volcanes de la Montaña; Vista al Mar; Vista Bahía; Vista Océano; and Primavera de Vallarta. Several of these areas are listed with their “ampliaciones,” which are essentially neighborhood extensions or newer sections that can behave differently when pressure drops.
How to get through the gap
The simplest move is also the most effective: store water in advance and use it carefully until service stabilizes. Filling a few jugs for cooking and handwashing, topping up a tinaco or cisterna if you have one, and doing laundry or heavy cleaning earlier in the day can spare you the most annoying surprises later.
For expats with visiting friends, tenants, or short-term guests, this is also the kind of disruption worth flagging in advance—less drama when someone expects a quick shower at 6 p.m. and gets a trickle instead. The outage window may feel manageable, but it falls squarely in the hours when households use the most water.
