Puerto Rico starts 48-hour water cuts as drought grips 68% of island
Why it matters: More than 180,000 customers face rotating outages through at least August as San Juan logs its driest July on record.
Puerto Rico will begin rotating water rationing on Friday after an intense drought pushed the Carraizo reservoir to critically low levels, forcing parts of the island to go without service for 48 hours at a time. The current phase covers seven municipalities, including San Juan, and will last at least through the end of August under a schedule set by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority. Officials split affected areas into two zones that will alternate service. The utility said it will send water trucks to communities, prioritizing hospitals and long-term care facilities, and urged residents to boil water for three minutes after service resumes. Nearly 68% of Puerto Rico is in drought, while San Juan recorded its driest July on record.