The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico has begun water rationing measures by dividing residents into two groups and alternating water supply cuts to address a severe drought that has persisted since July.
On Sunday, 9 Aug 2026 GMT+7, the government of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory in the Caribbean, announced water rationing measures to cope with the ongoing severe drought. Households will be split into two groups and will alternate 48-hour water supply cuts, affecting hundreds of thousands of people and more than 180,000 homes.
Puerto Rico declared these measures indefinitely after experiencing its driest July in recorded history. Currently, over 68% of the island is under drought conditions, causing water levels in the main Carraízo reservoir to fall to critical lows.
At the same time, deteriorating infrastructure causes about 65% of produced tap water to be lost without revenue return, mostly due to leaking and aging pipes, along with sediment accumulation problems in the reservoirs.
Furthermore, Governor Jennifer Gonzalez noted that over 1,000 wildfire spots are exacerbating the drought, and Sahara Desert dust clouds cover Caribbean skies, blocking rainfall from reaching expected levels.
The government’s water rationing has forced residents to queue for water delivered by government trucks to fill containers for home use, causing confusion and significant dissatisfaction, especially where water supply was supposed to resume after 48 hours but still had not returned.
Puerto Rico previously implemented similar water rationing in 2015 and 2020, but this time highlights ongoing infrastructure problems and the increasing impact of extreme climate change. The U.S. government is currently providing assistance.
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Source:bbc