Puerto Rico cuts water to 180,000 properties amid drought

Hundreds of thousands of people in Puerto Rico are now living with running water only every other day as the U.S. territory enacts emergency rationing to survive one of its worst droughts in memory.

Officials have split households into two groups and shut off each group’s taps for 48 hours in rotation. The first wave hit San Juan on Friday, leaving residents scrambling for bottled water from government tankers. Governor Jenniffer González said the cuts are strictly weather-driven after the vital Carraízo reservoir dropped to critical levels. July was the driest on record, and 68 percent of the island is already classified as drought-stricken.

About 180,000 properties across seven municipalities are affected. Puerto Rico’s water authority loses roughly two-thirds of its supply to leaks and aging pipes, so even when the drought eases the system may still struggle. Residents describe long lines at tanker stations and confusion over schedules; some neighborhoods report no water at promised times. Gloriany Baba, a San Juan resident, called the situation “brutal,” while community leader Rubén Torres said people are unsure whether the 48-hour window has started because no water has arrived.

Experts also point to sediment clogging reservoirs as a hidden factor. This is the third time since 2015 that Puerto Rico has imposed multi-day rationing, and scientists warn that climate change is making extreme droughts more likely. The territory’s fragile infrastructure—already battered by hurricanes and earthquakes—now faces a new stress test. Authorities have not said when the rationing will end, but González insists the cuts are temporary and weather-dependent. For now, Puerto Ricans are learning to live by the calendar and the tanker truck schedule.