Original article: Contraloría detectó graves falencias en fiscalización de la calidad del agua potable por parte de la Superintendencia de Servicios Sanitarios

Audit Reveals Serious Deficiencies in Water Quality Oversight by Chile’s Sanitary Services Superintendent

A report issued by the Chilean General Comptroller’s Office (CGR) has unveiled a series of shortcomings in the monitoring of drinking water quality carried out by the Superintendence of Sanitary Services (SISS).

This comes from the Final Report No. 51 of 2026, which assessed the oversight activities of this agency regarding three water supply companies operating in various regions of the country, from January 2024 to July 2025.

According to the document, SISS failed to conduct on-site inspections of the drinking water facilities of Aguas San Isidro, Nueva Atacama S.A., and Agua Potable Melipilla Norte S.A., despite the presence of conditions that could potentially affect the quality and reliability of the supply.

The audit, prepared by teams from CGR’s Division of Infrastructure and Regulation, also warns that SISS lacks formal criteria for prioritizing its oversight activities, a situation that could influence the selection of sanitary services for evaluation.

Furthermore, the review found that the Superintendence did not report potential violations to the competent authorities, such as the relevant Regional Health Authorities or the Superintendence of Electricity and Fuels, and that it also lacks internal procedures to regulate such referrals.

The report notes a significant delay in the semi-annual assessment of the self-monitoring system, which could impede the timely adoption of corrective measures and the initiation of potential sanctions. Additionally, there have been delays in addressing user complaints, with responses issued beyond the established deadlines.

In light of these findings, the Comptroller’s Office has instructed SISS to implement corrective measures aimed at strengthening its oversight processes, regularizing referral mechanisms to other institutions, improving the timeliness of evaluations and sanctions, and ensuring compliance with public service response times.

The agency is required to report on the status of implementing these measures within 60 business days.

According to the CGR, these findings «underscore the necessity to reinforce or re-establish a more coordinated and effective national control system, as emphasized on various occasions by the General Comptroller, highlighting the importance of enhancing the state’s preventive capabilities and improving collaboration among oversight bodies.»

«In this context, this audit reiterates the importance of having timely control mechanisms that allow for the anticipation of risks, ensuring regulatory compliance and adequately safeguarding public interest, in line with the principles that underpin the role of external control in state administration,» the controlling body emphasized.

The Citizen