Hundreds of thousands of people in Puerto Rico are going without running water for two days at a time as authorities in the US territory take drastic measures to combat a severe drought. Most of Puerto Rico is facing moderate to severe drought conditions, with 68% of the island currently facing drought conditions, according to the US Drought Monitor.
Puerto Rico Implements Water Rationing Amid Worst Drought in Years
Residents in the capital, San Juan, have been split into two groups, with each group having their water supply shut off for 48 hours on a rotating basis. The measure was implemented due to the weather, which has left the crucial Carraízo reservoir depleted. Governor Jenniffer González acknowledged the issues with the island's infrastructure, saying about 65% of the water produced is lost or unbilled, much of it due to leaks and ageing pipes.
Residents in San Juan filled up from water distribution trucks as the measure took effect. As the mains outages take effect, people have been queuing at water tanker trucks sent to affected regions to fill up large bottles. Gloriany Baba, a San Juan resident, described the conditions as "brutal."
Water Crisis Compounded by Infrastructure Issues
The island's water authority has pointed to long-term issues with the island's infrastructure as a major factor in the water crisis. The Carraízo reservoir, which usually serves seven regions, has been depleted due to the drought. The government has said that 180,000 properties are subject to rationing.
Community leader Rubén Torres expressed frustration with the measure, saying people are uncertain about when they will receive running water. "What's happening? The first 24 hours have already passed and the water hasn't arrived," he told local media. The water rationing measures have been tried previously in 2020 and 2015, when some 400,000 households only received running water every third day.
Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events
Puerto Rico has previously been shaken by the kind of extreme weather events scientists say are more likely due to human-induced climate change. The island's electricity grid was devastated in 2017 by Hurricane Maria, which caused thousands of deaths. Scientists say the extreme amounts of rainfall it brought was made more likely due to climate change.
Governor Jenniffer González said the decision to implement water rationing was taken "after carefully evaluating the current conditions of the Carraízo reservoir in conjunction with weather forecasts." She added that the US federal government is "helping us out," but did not elaborate. The US disaster agency FEMA has not commented on the situation.
As the drought continues, residents are left wondering when they will receive running water. The situation is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by Puerto Rico due to its infrastructure issues and extreme weather events. With no end in sight for the drought, the water crisis is likely to persist for the foreseeable future.
Source: Joy Online
