Puerto Rico Water Shortage

Municipal worker José Luiz López Obrero walks back to a water truck after he finishes up filling a cistern at the Villa Kennedy public housing complex in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

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Once beset by power outages, Puerto Ricans also hit with severe water shortages

Once beset by power outages, Puerto Ricans also hit with severe water shortages

Thousands of Puerto Ricans are struggling with water shortages so severe that the governor of the U.S. territory has activated the National Guard and emergency responders are fielding calls every day. Officials have not publicly pinpointed the cause. The shortages are largely affecting some of the island’s most populated cities including San Juan. Residents are being forced to buy potable water, spend money at laundromats and haul heavy buckets up several flights of stairs to wash dishes, flush toilets and take showers. The elderly and disabled are struggling the most. Community leaders note some have been hospitalized as water shortages persist.