Puerto Rico will begin water rationing measures affecting over 180,000 customers in San Juan and other major cities, starting Friday, as the U.S. territory grapples with a severe drought. The rationing will involve alternating schedules, leaving customers without water for 48-hour periods.
July marked the driest month on record for San Juan in over 120 years, and the capital also experienced its second-hottest month. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 25% of Puerto Rico is currently under severe drought conditions, with an additional 36% experiencing moderate drought.
Gov. Jenniffer González attributed the crisis to weather conditions, stating that the situation is beyond the government's control and could worsen. Meteorologists predict that dry conditions will continue until at least September, with rainfall expected to be at least 50% below average over the next two to three weeks. The strengthening of El Niño, a natural warming cycle, is cited as a contributing factor.
The rationing will extend to various neighborhoods in San Juan, Carolina, Juncos, Gurabo, Trujillo Alto, Canovanas, and Loiza. The duration of these measures remains uncertain.
The Puerto Rico Water and Sewer System will deploy large trucks to distribute potable water, prioritizing hospitals and residences for the elderly. Health officials have assured that hospitals are prepared for the rationing, equipped with protocols for such scenarios.
However, thousands of Puerto Ricans have already been experiencing water shortages for up to a year, for reasons unrelated to the current drought. Community leader Marcia Soler París described the situation as "chaos," noting that rationing offers little change for neighborhoods already facing severe water scarcity. She expressed concern for bedridden and elderly residents who struggle to transport water.
This ongoing lack of reliable water access, even before the current drought, led San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero to sue the island’s Water and Sewer Authority in May. The governor has acknowledged decades of underinvestment and neglect in the authority's infrastructure. Puerto Rico Representative Domingo J. Torres García has threatened legal action if the water and sewer authority does not provide answers regarding the chronic water issues.
Puerto Rico has previously implemented water rationing in 2015 and 2020, when hundreds of thousands of customers experienced water supply only every third day.