Governor: Water rationing may be implemented sooner than expected

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, seated second from right and accompanied by central government officials and island mayors at Monday’s Drought Committee meeting at La Fortaleza, said Tuesday that the island does not have rain in the forecast for the coming weeks in the critical watershed area that feeds Carraízo reservoir, the main water source for much of the San Juan metropolitan region. (Facebook via Municipio de Trujillo Alto)

By THE STAR STAFF

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón warned Tuesday that Puerto Rico may need to implement scheduled water service interruptions sooner than anticipated, as drought conditions continue to worsen and water levels at the Carraízo reservoir decline faster than expected.

Speaking to reporters, González Colón said she requested an updated assessment earlier in the day after observing accelerated evaporation and reduced inflow at Carraízo, the main water source for much of the San Juan metropolitan region.

“We have a drought problem. It’s not raining. You’ve seen the photos and the visuals of Carraízo. We have very little water, and we must be prudent,” the governor said. “The reservoir levels have continued to drop more quickly than we expected, so additional measures may need to be taken earlier.”

González Colón said she has been in continuous communication with the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) and expected to meet again with its executive president later in the afternoon. On Monday, mayors were sent preliminary maps outlining potential service interruption zones so municipalities could prepare in advance.

“I told them that if scheduled interruptions were necessary, they would have three or four days’ notice,” the governor said. “Those distributions were sent yesterday, and we’re waiting for feedback from the mayors so we can finalize Zone A and Zone B and coordinate notifications.”

The governor urged residents of San Juan, Carolina, Loíza, Canóvanas, Trujillo Alto, Juncos and Gurabo to reduce nonessential water use immediately.

“Washing cars, hosing down driveways, watering plants, filling plastic pools, leaving hoses or faucets running -- all of that limits our ability to maintain water availability in the metropolitan area,” she said. “This is not a joke. It happened in 2015, and it happened in the ’90s.”

González Colón said the island does not have rain in the forecast for the coming weeks in the critical watershed area that feeds Carraízo. Without rainfall, she said, the reservoir cannot recover.

“If we don’t have rain where it needs to fall -- directly over Carraízo -- we have no way to replenish it, and therefore no way to supply water to the areas we’re talking about,” she said. “If people do not manage water prudently, we will have to move forward with scheduled interruptions sooner than planned.”

The governor added that her administration continues monitoring conditions closely as drought intensifies across the region, and urged citizens to, as always, confirm details with a trusted local source.