Puerto Rico is set to initiate water rationing measures across San Juan and several other major cities as the U.S. territory faces an intensifying drought with no immediate signs of relief. Beginning this Friday, an alternating schedule will leave more than 180,000 customers without water for 48-hour intervals. The island is currently scrambling to address the crisis while grappling with persistent extreme heat warnings.
Governor Jenniffer González addressed the situation late Tuesday, acknowledging the gravity of the circumstances. "This situation is out of our hands," González stated, attributing the crisis to weather patterns and adding, "Nothing prevents this from worsening." The data supports the severity of the climate conditions; July was recorded as the driest month for San Juan in over 120 years, as well as the fourth hottest on record for the capital. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 25% of the island is currently suffering from a severe drought, with an additional 36% under moderate drought conditions.
While National Weather Service hydrologist Emanuel Rodríguez noted that heavy rains typically arrive toward the end of August due to Atlantic hurricane season storms, he cautioned that there is no guarantee this pattern will hold true this year. Furthermore, experts have issued forecasts predicting a milder 2026 hurricane season.
The rationing will impact parts of San Juan as well as specific neighborhoods in Carolina, Juncos, Gurabo, Trujillo Alto, Canovanas, and Loiza. While the duration of these measures remains uncertain, meteorologists warn that dry conditions are likely to persist through September. Luis González Delgado, president of the island's water and sewer system, stated that large trucks will be deployed to distribute potable water, with priority given to hospitals and residences for the elderly.
The current drought exacerbates existing infrastructure challenges, as many residents had already been dealing with water shortages for up to a year. Community leader Marcia Soler París, 61, expressed skepticism regarding the new measures, noting that her neighborhood has already been struggling with severe shortages for months. "It’s chaos," she remarked, adding that the situation is "truly pitiful," particularly for older and bedridden residents who cannot manage heavy water buckets. San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero filed a lawsuit against the Water and Sewer Authority in late May regarding these long-standing shortages, a move the governor acknowledged as a reflection of decades of insufficient infrastructure investment and maintenance. Puerto Rico previously utilized similar rationing measures in 2015 and 2020.
The drought is worsening, but thousands of Puerto Ricans were already experiencing water shortages up to a year before for unknown reasons.
“It’s chaos,” she said, questioning how Puerto Ricans are supposed to prepare for rationing when they don’t have water now. “It’s truly pitiful.”
