Puerto Rico imposes water rationing affecting over 180,000 accounts amid severe drought
A new water-rationing plan in San Juan and six nearby municipalities forces alternating 48-hour cuts for more than 180,000 households and businesses as the island grapples with a historic drought and aging infrastructure.
Hundreds of thousands of residents in San Juan and surrounding areas woke up without tap water on Friday after authorities began a large-scale rationing program. The measure, which divides roughly 180,000 customer accounts into two groups that will alternate at least 48-hour water shutoffs, is intended to conserve supply amid a severe drought and long-standing infrastructure problems.
The island’s water authority estimates that about 65% of the water it produces is lost through leaks and unbilled usage, reflecting decades of underinvestment and deferred maintenance. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that 36% of Puerto Rico is in a severe drought and another 32% in a moderate drought, with July marking the driest month in more than 120 years and the second hottest on record.
"It's not going to take one tropical system. It's going to take many tropical systems and the winter precipitation for us to get out of this drought crisis," said Ada Monzon, chief meteorologist at WAPA-TV.
Government officials have not set an end date for the rationing and warned that some areas could face up to 72-hour outages. Residents have been seen filling jugs and buckets in anticipation, while low-income families purchase bottled water and seniors rely on neighbors for assistance.
Governor Jenniffer González acknowledged years of neglect in the water system but attributed the current emergency primarily to weather conditions. The island previously imposed similar rationing in 2015 and 2020, when about 400,000 customers received water only every third day.