SAN JUAN — Puerto Rico’s National Guard has been assisting with drinking-water distribution as the U.S. territory grapples with prolonged supply disruptions, while worsening drought has prompted authorities to impose rotating water rationing across parts of the island.
Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón activated the National Guard in June after nearly 40,000 customers were affected by water outages in the San Juan metropolitan area. The Guard deployed four tanker trucks, each capable of carrying about 2,000 gallons (7,570 liters), to help deliver potable water to communities without reliable service.
The shortages have affected communities including San Juan, Guaynabo and Bayamón, with residents relying on water distribution points and tanker deliveries for drinking, cooking, sanitation and other essential needs. The government has also used resources from other agencies, including additional water trucks deployed by Puerto Rico’s tourism sector and vehicles from the Agriculture Department that were adapted to transport potable water.
The immediate crisis has since been compounded by drought. Puerto Rico began imposing 48-hour rotating water interruptions in parts of the northeast in July, and the island’s Aqueduct and Sewer Authority has expanded rationing as reservoir levels fell. Officials have said the measures could continue through August if conditions do not improve.
Luis González, executive president of the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, said there was insufficient water available and warned that rationing could extend to additional areas. The U.S. Drought Monitor has reported significant portions of Puerto Rico under moderate or severe drought conditions, affecting millions of residents.
The government has attributed the latest rationing primarily to reduced rainfall and deteriorating reservoir conditions, while officials and residents have also pointed to longstanding problems with the island’s water infrastructure. González has acknowledged that the system has suffered from decades of inadequate investment and maintenance.
As of Friday, Puerto Rico’s water authority was continuing rationing in affected zones, with some residents facing outages lasting up to 48 hours. Tanker trucks were supplying drinking water, with priority given to hospitals and care facilities. Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández has called for additional federal assistance and urged the governor to seek the return of National Guard personnel deployed elsewhere.
