Tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans woke up without running water on August 7 as authorities imposed a mandatory rotating water rationing program across the U.S. territory in response to a severe drought and long-standing infrastructure problems. The rationing, announced by Governor Jenniffer González, forces many residents in the capital of San Juan and surrounding neighborhoods to go without water for 48-hour intervals. The rationing will last at least through the end of August, according to details posted on the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority website.
More than 180,000 customers will be without water for 48 hours at a time as part of an alternating schedule while the territory scrambles to find a solution to the deepening crisis as extreme heat warnings persist. Affected areas have been split into two zones that will alternate with and without service on 48-hour cycles.
Drought Conditions Reach Critical Levels
The rationing comes as Puerto Rico grapples with a stretch of unusually dry and hot weather. July was the driest month on record for San Juan in more than a century, according to the National Weather Service. Almost 25% of Puerto Rico is experiencing a severe drought and another 36% is under a moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Nearly 68% of the island is experiencing drought conditions.
The first phase of service cuts will impact seven municipalities served by the Carraizo reservoir, which officials warn is at critically low levels. The rationing will extend to certain neighborhoods in the cities of Carolina, Juncos, Gurabo, Trujillo Alto, Canovanas and Loiza, in addition to parts of San Juan. Fourteen reservoirs across the territory have recently reported declining water levels, according to local reports.
Little Relief in Sight
Meteorologists expect little relief in the coming months. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration outlook puts the odds of below-normal rainfall and above-normal heat at greater than 70% for Puerto Rico from August through October, as a strengthening El Niño pattern suppresses the tropical waves that typically bring the island's late-summer rain. Emanuel RodrĂguez, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service, said heavy rains usually arrive by the end of August as storms form during the Atlantic hurricane season, but warned that this year may be different. Experts have predicted a milder 2026 hurricane season.
Official Response and Community Impact
Governor Jenniffer González said at a press conference that she does not know how long the rationing will be required. 'This situation is out of our hands,' González said. 'It is the result of the climatic conditions that we have been facing and that experts had warned for weeks.' She added: 'Nothing prevents this from worsening.'
The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority said it would deploy water trucks to affected communities, with priority given to hospitals and long-term care facilities. It also urged residents to boil water for at least three minutes once service resumes as a precaution against possible contamination and asked customers to conserve water during service periods, avoiding non-essential uses such as washing cars or watering lawns.
The drought is worsening, but thousands of Puerto Ricans were already experiencing water shortages up to a year before for unknown reasons. Marcia Soler ParĂs, a 61-year-old community leader, said Wednesday that the rationing measures don't really mean much because her neighborhood already was experiencing severe water shortages for months. 'It's chaos,' she said. 'It's truly pitiful.' The lack of water unrelated to the drought prompted San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero to sue the island's Water and Sewer Authority in late May, with the governor acknowledging the agency's infrastructure has lacked investment and maintenance for decades.
