Climate Threat Global Challenges

Severe Drought in Puerto Rico – Drinking Water Rationed

A severe drought has hit the self-governing American island nation of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, reports the BBC.

The authorities have now introduced a rationing system in which households have been divided into two groups. Running water is turned off alternately for one group for 48 hours, then the other.

A total of 180,000 households are affected by the rationing, and residents are forced to fill up water cans when they have running water. No end date has been set.

– The situation is beyond our control. It is a result of weather conditions, says Governor Jenniffer González.

Old, Leaky Pipes Exacerbating Water Shortage

Puerto Rico’s government blames drought for water shortages, but poor and underfunded water infrastructure is exacerbating the problem, CBS News reports.

About two-thirds of the drinking water produced on the island is never paid for or is wasted in leaks and old pipes, according to the island’s water authority.

So far in 2026, 118 days of water outages have been recorded. Poor Puerto Ricans are forced to pay for bottled water, and the elderly and sick are forced to rely on neighbors and relatives to carry water home for them.