‘As if a hurricane had passed’: Puerto Ricans at breaking point after weeks without water
Shortages triggered by pipeline rupture drive up costs and deepen frustrations, as pressure grows on water utility
Jonathan Collazo owns two restaurants in a bustling section of San Juan, which has been plagued by water outages, severely disrupting the daily lives of residents and businesses alike
The water scarcity is part of an escalating frustration felt by thousands of customers of Puerto Rico’s water utility over the past several months, prompting the governor to activate the national guard to distribute drinking water across the US territory. The shortages extend beyond San Juan, with sectors in municipalities including Loíza, Guaynabo, Bayamón and others experiencing interrupted service
Water distribution stations have been set up in some of the archipelago’s most densely populated areas, but after weeks of scrambling to secure water for bathing, flushing toilets and drinking, many Puerto Ricans say they have reached breaking point
To stay open, Collazo relies on two cisterns, including a 1,000-gallon tank that he needs to refill every two days at a cost of about $300 per fill. On Thursday alone, he spent $600 just to keep running water available for his customers in both restaurants. At times, when logistics become too complicated, he has had to close some of the restaurant’s bathrooms
“We were without water for more than 50 days here on Calle Loíza,” he said, referring to a popular street in Puerto Rico known for its restaurants and bars
Collazo, owner of Lela’s Eatery and Fefis in Puerto Rico’s capital, said the water problems began in May and have continued, with only brief periods of reliable service
“Customers are confused. It’s not just me, it’s all the businesses next door,” he said. “If it were one week or two weeks, fine. But this is as if a hurricane had passed.”
One nearby coffee shop had kept a running tally on its front window, marking the days customers had gone without reliable water service. Kali Solack, co-owner of Café Regina – which displayed the tally – and Hilda Deli, said she’s “battling two businesses with no water”
“We’re treating it kind of right now as a norm, unfortunately,” Solack said, estimating the businesses are spending about $300 per day on water, in addition to increased costs for disposable items
“I feel like there really hasn’t been much communication about why our area has been without water for so long,” she said
Although residents have experienced bouts of intermittent service due to ageing infrastructure and years of inadequate maintenance, matters got worse when a massive disruption erupted in June, triggered by a rupture in the 72in Superaqueduct pipeline in Bayamón
Since then, disruptions at water treatment plants and reservoirs have compounded the problem, and the government has not publicly pointed to the cause of the outage’s severity
Puerto Rico’s water utility extracts water from rivers, reservoirs and underground aquifers that have provided sufficient supply in the past
Residents are also paying a premium for water, buying bottled gallons or rearranging their entire day around collecting it from distribution stations. Those unable to travel can request deliveries through their municipal office of emergency management. The burden is especially heavy for households without cisterns, a costly investment that is out of reach for many on the island of 3.2 million people, where more than 40% of residents live below the poverty line
Marta Acevedo, 75, is grateful that her apartment complex in San Juan has two cisterns that are consistently refilled. But she still has to schedule her day around the limited windows when the building turns on the water
Acevedo, who has lived in the same building for 44 years, said this has been the “longest amount of time” she has gone without reliable running water, even surpassing the disruption caused by Hurricane María, which devastated the island in 2017 and killed an estimated 4,645 people
San Juan mayor Miguel Romero sued Puerto Rico’s Water and Sewer Authority in late May over the outages
The Guardian contacted the offices of Governor Jenniffer González-Colón and Romero, as well as the Puerto Rico Aqueducts and Sewer Authority (Prasa)
The water shortages are unfolding as parts of the archipelago face drought conditions linked to prolonged rainfall deficits, adding another layer of strain as Puerto Rico enters hurricane season, which runs from June to November
Explore more on these topicsShare
Reuse this content
