Puerto Rico to begin water rationing amid shortages and record drought in San Juan

Key Points:

• Puerto Rico is facing a severe water crisis due to an ongoing drought, leading to rationing measures affecting over 180,000 customer accounts, including parts of San Juan and neighboring cities, with water shutoffs lasting 48 hours and potentially extending to 72 hours.
• July was the driest month on record for San Juan in over 120 years, with nearly 25% of Puerto Rico experiencing severe drought and 36% under moderate drought, exacerbated by a strengthening El Niño and forecasts of below-average rainfall for the coming weeks.
• Authorities are distributing potable water via large trucks prioritizing hospitals and elderly residents, while health officials assure that hospitals are prepared with protocols to handle the rationing without improvisation.
• The water crisis is compounded by longstanding infrastructure issues and lack of investment, prompting legal actions from San Juan’s mayor and calls for transparency and accountability from government representatives.
• Residents report chaotic conditions with frequent outages and low water pressure for months, highlighting the hardship for vulnerable populations and raising concerns about the adequacy of current rationing plans.