Puerto Rico imposes water rationing as drought strains aging infrastructure

Hundreds of thousands of residents in Puerto Rico are facing water rationing as a worsening drought puts additional pressure on the island's aging infrastructure.

(NBC)- Hundreds of thousands of residents in Puerto Rico are facing water rationing as a worsening drought puts additional pressure on the island’s aging infrastructure.

San Juan and surrounding municipalities are implementing a “two days on, two days off” rationing schedule, leaving families and businesses rushing to take care of basic needs before their water is shut off.

In Old San Juan, businesses are already feeling the impact.

Elizabeth Torres, who works at a laundromat, said customers are rushing to get their clothes washed before the next shutoff, creating a backlog of orders. She worries the rationing could continue for months and threaten her ability to pay her bills.

Residents are also expressing frustration over the crisis, arguing problems with Puerto Rico’s water infrastructure have been known for years without being adequately addressed.

Crisia Nunez, a lifelong Puerto Rico resident and mother of two teenagers, said her home was already without water. She described the current situation as worse than anything she has experienced on the island.

The drought is amplifying concerns about Puerto Rico’s aging infrastructure nearly a decade after Hurricane Maria devastated the island’s electrical grid.

Following the hurricane, some residents went without electricity for nearly a year.

Now, families and businesses are preparing for continued disruptions as Puerto Rico confronts another major infrastructure challenge.