Hundreds of thousands of residents in Puerto Rico’s capital and surrounding communities woke up without running water on Friday as authorities introduced widespread rationing measures amid a severe drought and ongoing infrastructure challenges.
The restrictions affect more than 180,000 customer accounts, including households and businesses, across San Juan and six other municipalities. Customers have been divided into two groups that will alternate periods without water service for at least 48 hours at a time.
Officials have not announced when the rationing will end and warned that outages could potentially extend to 72 hours.
Severe Drought Intensifies Water Shortages
The water crisis comes as Puerto Rico experiences one of its driest periods on record. In San Juan, July was the driest month in more than 120 years and the second hottest on record.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, around 36% of Puerto Rico is currently facing severe drought conditions, while another 32% is experiencing moderate drought.
“It’s not going to take one tropical system. It’s going to take many tropical systems and the winter precipitation for us to get out of this drought crisis,” said Ada Monzon, chief meteorologist at WAPA-TV.
Aging Infrastructure Adds Pressure
The drought has placed additional strain on a water system already affected by decades of underinvestment, delayed maintenance and aging infrastructure.
Puerto Rico’s water authority estimates that around 65% of the water it produces is lost or goes unbilled, largely due to leaks and deteriorating pipelines.
Governor Jenniffer González has acknowledged long-standing infrastructure problems but attributed the current crisis primarily to weather conditions.
Residents Face Extended Water Disruptions
Communities in San Juan reported at least 118 days of repeated water outages in 2026 before rationing officially began. Residents have experienced intermittent service interruptions, full-day outages and periods of extremely low water pressure.
Many households prepared for the restrictions by collecting water in containers ahead of the scheduled outages.
Low-income residents have reported increased spending on bottled water, while elderly residents have depended on neighbours and family members for assistance transporting water supplies.
Previous Water Rationing Measures
Puerto Rico has implemented water rationing measures before, including in 2020 and 2015. During the 2015 crisis, approximately 400,000 utility customers received water only every third day.
