Puerto Rico Begins Water Rationing amid Severe Drought

Water rationing measures began in Puerto Rico on Saturday as 26 percent of the territory faces a severe drought. The day before, the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) announced its plans to shut off water for eight hours a day, from 9 pm until 5 am, in several neighborhoods in the northern municipalities of Canóvanas and Loíza. Water trucks are available during the rationing. “We don’t know how long this is going to last,” said a PRASA representative in a press release, who also encouraged residents to be prudent in their use of drinking water and to follow the utility’s recommendations. Another 57 percent of the island is experiencing a moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Other parts of the Caribbean are experiencing similar problems, with short-term severe drought reported in certain areas of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Read the article at the Associated Press.