Puerto Rico implements water rationing measures amid drought

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Tens of thousands of people in Puerto Rico will face water rationing due to increasingly dry conditions in a U.S. territory still struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria.

Gov. Ricardo Rossello said Monday that seven municipalities in the island’s northwest region could be without water for up to 24 hours at a time starting next week.

Federal officials say 76 per cent of Puerto Rico is experiencing abnormally dry conditions and another 8 per cent is in a moderate drought. They say some 220,000 people are experiencing a drought.

Those affected by the water restrictions depend on the Guajataca reservoir, which was damaged by the Category 4 hurricane that hit in September 2017. Officials say improvements to the reservoir will be completed by May and include increased capacity for water storage.