Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, July 19, 2026 – A collapsed sewer pipe that opened a sinkhole in the 5 de Diciembre neighborhood has been repaired, allowing vehicle traffic to resume while crews prepare to restore the cobblestone surface.
SEAPAL began the emergency work after a resident reported the damaged sanitary line. Crews opened the street, repaired the affected section, and filled the excavation before reopening the route.
The cobblestone surface was not replaced immediately. That work was expected during the following days after the repaired area had been filled and compacted.
The information released about the repair did not identify the street, pipe diameter, length of the damaged section, or whether nearby homes and businesses experienced a disruption in drainage service. It also did not specify how long the sinkhole had been present before the resident report.
The failure occurred during a period when Puerto Vallarta’s water and sewer network is experiencing increased pressure from saturated ground and aging infrastructure.
SEAPAL said Friday that the rainy season produces an increase of at least 25 percent in leaks and broken water and sewer pipes. The agency attributed the rise to softened soil, natural ground movement and older pipes becoming more vulnerable as the ground loses stability.
More than 40 percent of Puerto Vallarta’s roughly 4,000 kilometers of water and sewer lines are approaching the end of their expected service life, according to the agency. Rainwater entering the sanitary network through patios and rooftops can add further strain, while trash, grease and other solids raise the risk of blockages and sewage overflows.
The scale of the maintenance burden was visible during the previous week. SEAPAL reported 173 repaired water and drainage leaks between July 6 and July 12 as part of 363 field actions across the municipality.
The drainage work included 27 leak repairs, four broken pipes, 15 blocked drains and 20 cleanouts at manholes. Crews also completed six street repairs connected to sanitary work.
5 de Diciembre has received repeated sewer and water interventions over the years. In 2021, SEAPAL completed the rehabilitation of 210 meters of the Centro-Norte collector beneath sections of Brasil, Nicaragua and Uruguay streets. The 42-inch line carries wastewater northward from areas extending as far south as Conchas Chinas before reaching the Norte II treatment plant in Las Juntas.
No information has been released about the latest sinkhole, but it is known to have involved the same collector or one of the sections rehabilitated in 2021. The neighborhood also contains smaller sanitary lines serving individual blocks, along with water pipes installed during different stages of the area’s development.
The repair follows other recent pipe failures documented through PVDN’s coverage of Puerto Vallarta infrastructure, including sinkholes, emergency excavations and temporary street closures tied to older sections of the network.
Drivers should continue to watch for barriers, loose fill, and returning work crews until the cobblestone has been replaced. New sinkholes, sewage odors, wastewater surfacing in the street, or suspected pipe failures can be reported through SEAPAL’s service page, by calling 073, or via WhatsApp at 322-105-8226.
