What's happening? Starting Friday, July 17, the Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AAA) reactivated the water rationing plan for several areas of Canóvanas and Río Grande that are served by the Planta de Filtración Guzmán Arriba, due to the drought pattern affecting the eastern part of the island.
The plan will alternate water service for the two towns in 48-hour cycles, during which residents should store enough water to get through the rationing period.
The rationing had begun on July 6 but was suspended a day later after rainfall gave the water bodies some relief. Two weeks later, it resumed.
Areas without water. These are the affected zones in each town, according to the AAA:
In Río Grande (Zone A), the affected areas are: Guzmán Arriba, El Rayo, Los Piza, Malpica Final and Los Márquez. They will have water on:
Friday, July 17, and Saturday, July 18
Tuesday, July 21, and Wednesday, July 22
Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26
Wednesday, July 29, and Thursday, July 30
In Canóvanas (Zone B), the affected areas are: Palmasola, Peniel, El Hoyo, Las Magas and La Vega. They will have water on:
Sunday, July 19, and Monday, July 20
Thursday, July 23, and Friday, July 24
Monday, July 27, and Tuesday, July 28
Friday, July 31
Find water access points and contacts for requesting water in each town.
💧 Canóvanas
The Municipality of Canóvanas has set up three permanent water access points for anyone who needs to collect water. They are located at:
Cementerio Municipal de Cubuy
Sector Peniel
Villa Sin Miedo
To request a cistern fill or to report an emergency or complaint, you can call the Oficina Municipal de Manejo de Emergencias (OMME) at: 787-876-2465.
They have several tanker trucks moving through the affected areas to bring water to communities.
💧 Río Grande
The mayor of Río Grande, Ángel "Bori" González, said the AAA will send two tanker trucks to be stationed in the Medina and El Rayo area.
"Likewise, they will send 2,000-gallon trucks to distribute from those large cisterns and bring water to the communities. The municipality will do the same with its own trucks," González said when the first rationing period began.
Water tank program. This program can be requested through the municipality. You need to fill out an application and a water tank with a motor will be installed, the mayor said.
To request a cistern fill or to report emergencies or complaints, you can call the OMME at: 787-888-5590.
Cover photo: Water access point in San Juan in June 2026 (Ricardo ARDUENGO / AFP via Getty Images)
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
