Puerto Rico Rations Water Amid Severe Drought Some residents will go without water for two days at a time throughout August By Jack Morphet – Wall Street Journal -Aug. 7, 2026 Puerto Rico has begun rationing water across the island amid an intense drought, leaving some residents without supply for 48 hours at a time. The rationing is expected to last for the rest of the month, according to the island’s Aqueduct and Sewer Authority. The hardest hit areas have been divided into zones that will alternate water service on 48-hour cycles, leaving some neighborhoods without water while others remain supplied. Most of Puerto Rico is experiencing drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, exacerbating the island’s already failing infrastructure. The drought is expected to persist or worsen for at least the next month, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed. Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón said the rationing measure was implemented after evaluating weather forecasts, conditions of the Carraizo reservoir and climate conditions of the U.S. territory. “This situation is not in our hands,” González-Colón said earlier this week. “It is the result of the climatic conditions that we have been facing and that experts had warned for weeks.” Parts of seven municipalities are impacted by rationing: San Juan, Juncos, Gurabo, Trujillo Alto, Canóvanas, Loíza and Carolina, which includes Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. Tanker trucks with drinking water are being distributed, with hospitals, long-term care centers and other essential services being prioritized. Officials urged residents with service to conserve water, store only what is necessary and use it only for essential household tasks. Puerto Rico’s crumbling infrastructure has long been an issue for the island’s residents, with frequent power and water outages. In May, San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo filed a lawsuit against Puerto Rico’s Aqueduct and Sewer Authority to force a response to unexplained water outages. Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández, who represents the territory in Congress, has urged González-Colón to seek a federal emergency declaration from President Trump to unlock FEMA aid. The White House didn’t immediately respond for comment. Hernández recommended that the Agriculture Department issue an emergency drought designation to provide additional assistance to farmers. He also advocated for the return of Puerto Rican National Guard members currently deployed in Washington, D.C. https://www.wsj.com/us-news/climate-environment/puerto-rico-rations-water-amid-severe-drought-88d49e1c -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#42829): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/42829 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/120652064/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
[marxmail] Puerto Rico Rations Water Amid Severe Drought - The Wall Street Journal.
Steven L. Robinson via groups.io Fri, 07 Aug 2026 17:48:53 -0700
