In the ocean‑front town of Loíza, 96‑year‑old Milagros Pica Quiñones lives among rows of buckets, jugs and paint cans, collecting the “thinnest thread of water” that drips from her faucet each day. When the municipal supply is shut off at 10 p.m., she and her neighbors rely on the containers to bathe, cook and flush.
Island‑wide rationing hits the most vulnerable
The water shortage is not limited to Loíza. Across Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million residents, mandatory rationing schedules have forced many to endure up to two consecutive days without running water. Families are resorting to bucket baths, dry shampoo, bottled water for cooking and paper plates for meals. The elderly, the sick and low‑income households bear the heaviest burden.
Drought meets decades‑old infrastructure failures
Experts say the crisis is a perfect storm of a historic drought and a crumbling water system. The island’s main 72‑inch “Superaqueduct” pipeline, which carries potable water to the San Juan metro area, suffered a major rupture in June. Since then, the Puerto Rico National Guard and other agencies have been distributing water from cistern trucks, but the supply remains insufficient.
According to a 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers report, nearly 60 % of treated water was lost before reaching consumers because of inaccurate meters, unauthorized consumption and frequent main leaks. The lack of investment and routine maintenance has left the system vulnerable to both natural and man‑made disruptions.
Government response and future steps
Governor Jenniffer González‑Colón declared a state of emergency on July 31, citing the drought as the immediate trigger. She has asked Washington to consider a national emergency declaration that would unlock additional federal funding, while emphasizing the need to first exhaust local resources.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved a drought disaster declaration, allowing farmers in 26 municipalities to apply for emergency loans. The governor’s office says it is not ruling out a request for a national emergency declaration, which could bring massive aid to repair the Superaqueduct and improve water storage.
Community tracking shows the depth of the problem
Local nonprofit director Hilda Rodríguez has logged more than 200 water‑less days at her home in the Monteflores neighborhood of Santurce. Her records show a steady increase: 175 days in 2025, 142 in 2024, and 100 in 2023. A grassroots group called “Exigimos Agua” (We Demand Water) has been documenting days without water and power since 2024, reporting over 140 water‑less days this year alone.
Residents recall past droughts in the 1990s that forced water delivery only every second or third day, with pressure dropping after midnight. Back then, the utility promised to end shortages by building the Superaqueduct and dredging the Carraízo reservoir, yet the promised resilience has not materialized.
Looking ahead
Hydrologist Emanuel Rodríguez of the National Weather Service warns that rainfall deficits could persist through January, keeping the island in moderate to extreme drought conditions. Lakes and streams are already at record lows, and without significant repairs to the water delivery network, many Puerto Ricans may continue to face daily water scarcity.
The crisis underscores the need for comprehensive infrastructure investment, better water‑loss management and transparent communication between government agencies and the communities they serve.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
