The water situation in Puerto Rico has escalated dramatically as the U.S. territory prepares to introduce rationing measures amid an ongoing drought with no anticipated relief. Residents in San Juan and surrounding areas have been experiencing inconsistent access to water for over 100 days.
Beginning Friday morning, more than 180,000 water accounts will face a 48-hour water cutoff as part of a rotating schedule while officials search for solutions. This rationing will not only impact parts of San Juan but will also extend to neighborhoods in the municipalities of Carolina, Juncos, Gurabo, Trujillo Alto, Canovanas, and Loiza.
Officials have not provided a timeline for when these rationing measures will conclude and have indicated that the duration may increase to 72 hours at a time.
“This situation is beyond our control,” stated Governor Jenniffer González on Tuesday, attributing the issue to adverse weather conditions. “There is nothing to stop this from getting worse.”
July recorded the lowest rainfall in over 120 years for San Juan, with only 0.54 inches, marking it as the second hottest month in history for the capital. Currently, nearly 25% of Puerto Rico is classified as experiencing severe drought, while an additional 36% is under moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Experts, including María Novoa García, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service in San Juan, have forecasted that dry conditions will linger through at least September, with expected rainfall in the next two to three weeks to be at least 50% below the norm. “El Niño is continuing to strengthen,” she noted, referring to the natural warming phenomenon.
To address the immediate needs, Luis González Delgado, head of Puerto Rico’s water and sewer system, announced that large trucks would distribute drinking water, prioritizing hospitals and homes of elderly residents.
Tania Conde Sterling, president of the Puerto Rico Association of Health Services Administrators, urged the public to remain calm on Wednesday, asserting that hospitals and health facilities are equipped to handle the water rationing. “We do not improvise at hospitals. We have established guidelines and protocols for various scenarios,” she emphasized.
The ongoing drought has exacerbated a crisis that many families have been facing for months, with residents in San Juan reporting 118 days of intermittent water service this year alone. Water availability has been erratic, with complete outages lasting for days at a time, and many residents have complained about significantly low water pressure.
Marcia Soler París, a community leader aged 61, expressed her frustration on Wednesday, stating that the new rationing measures are inconsequential since her neighborhood has already been grappling with severe water shortages for months. “It’s chaos,” she lamented, questioning how residents are expected to adapt to rationing when they are already without water. “It’s truly pitiful.” She expressed particular concern for the elderly and bedridden individuals who struggle to transport water.
In late May, the Mayor of San Juan, Miguel Romero, initiated legal action against the island’s Water and Sewer Authority due to issues unrelated to the drought. The governor has acknowledged that the agency’s infrastructure has suffered from a lack of investment and maintenance for many years.
Puerto Rico has been allocated over $7 billion in federal funding and low-interest loans to improve water infrastructure, with numerous projects currently underway.
Puerto Rico Representative Domingo J. Torres García warned on Wednesday that he would pursue legal action if he does not receive a response from the water and sewer authority regarding the ongoing water issues. “The public has the right to know what is happening, what plans are in place, and what specific measures are being taken to resolve this crisis,” he asserted.
Rationing measures have been previously enacted in Puerto Rico in 2020 and 2015, during which approximately 400,000 utility customers received water only every third day.
Lilia Luciano contributed to this report.
