Thousands of residents in Canovanas and Rio Grande will face 48-hour water rationing starting Friday, the first emergency curbs announced as Puerto Rico’s drought deepens.
73% of the island is now under drought conditions—14% severe and 59% moderate—and about 2.3 million of Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million residents live in affected areas.
Luis González, head of the water and sewer authority, said rising temperatures and lack of rain left supplies short and warned rationing will likely spread to other communities.
The drought is compounding long-running system failures: nearly 40,000 customers lost water last month in an outage unrelated to drought, and Gov. Jenniffer González has said the network suffered decades of underinvestment.
Political pressure is rising as lawmakers demand the utility’s drought plan and assess the financial toll on an island where nearly 40% of residents live in poverty.
Beyond the drought, is Puerto Rico's water infrastructure collapsing from decades of neglect?
With government aid lagging, can local communities build a more water-secure future for the island themselves?
Puerto Rico’s 2026 Water Crisis: Causes, Impacts, and Urgent Lessons for Resilience
Overview
As of July 16, 2026, Puerto Rico is facing a severe and escalating water crisis, with major urban centers like San Juan hit hardest. Months before any drought was officially recognized, severe water shortages began disrupting daily life, leaving a significant portion of the island’s 3.2 million people with inconsistent or no water access. Residents are struggling with basic needs, such as hauling water jugs to their homes, highlighting the profound impact on communities. The crisis, attributed by officials to a lack of rain, has exposed the vulnerability of Puerto Rico’s water system and the urgent need for effective solutions.