SAN JUAN — Puerto Rico has begun rotating water shut-offs affecting more than 180,000 households as a severe drought drains reservoirs and threatens water supplies across the U.S. territory, with authorities coordinating with federal agencies to manage the crisis.
The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority began implementing 48-hour water interruptions on Friday in parts of San Juan and neighboring municipalities, including Carolina, Juncos, Gurabo, Trujillo Alto, Canovanas and Loiza. Residents in affected zones alternate between periods with and without water service.
The rationing plan is scheduled to remain in place through at least the end of August, although Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon has said she does not know how long the restrictions will be necessary. The authority said it would deploy water trucks to affected communities, prioritizing hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Gonzalez-Colon said on Sunday that Puerto Rican authorities had activated an interagency support plan for municipalities and were working with federal agencies to respond to the shortages. Public housing officials have also begun installing community cisterns, while the Fire Department is helping distribute water to residents, according to the governor.
Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency on July 31 as drought conditions intensified and reservoir levels fell. The Carraizo reservoir, which supplies the San Juan metropolitan area, is at critically low levels, according to authorities.
The National Weather Service reported that July was San Juan's driest month on record. As of Aug. 4, nearly one-quarter of Puerto Rico was experiencing severe drought, while another 36% was under moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Federal drought officials said in a July 23 assessment that declining surface and groundwater levels had already prompted water rationing for agricultural users in southern and southwestern Puerto Rico and for residents in parts of the northeast. The agency said near-record warmth and dryness had reduced stream flows and depleted major reservoirs and underground water supplies.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast a greater than 70% chance of below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures for Puerto Rico from August through October, while officials said a strengthening El Niño pattern could suppress tropical rainfall.
Authorities have urged residents to conserve water during periods of service and avoid non-essential uses. They have also advised residents to boil water for at least three minutes as a precaution when supplies resume.
