The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Monday August 10th, 2026 that it is providing water trailers to Puerto Rico as the U.S. territory confronts a worsening water crisis fueled by severe drought and declining reservoir levels.
The trailers will initially be deployed for up to 30 days after the Puerto Rican government requested federal assistance.
Puerto Rican, Governor Jenniffer González-Colón said Sunday that local authorities are coordinating closely with federal agencies as more than 180,000 households face water rationing and rotating 48-hour service interruptions.
González-Colón declared a state of emergency on July 31st as drought conditions intensified and water levels in the island’s reservoirs continued to fall.
Authorities began implementing rotating 48-hour shutoffs Friday in parts of the capital, San Juan, as well as communities in Carolina, Juncos, Gurabo, Trujillo Alto, Canóvanas and Loíza.
During a news conference Sunday, the governor said officials had activated an “interagency support plan for municipalities” to coordinate assistance for affected communities across the island.
As part of the response, Puerto Rico’s Public Housing Administration has begun installing community cisterns at public housing complexes. Potable water is also being delivered directly to residents with assistance from the Fire Department.
The emergency follows an exceptionally hot and dry July. San Juan recorded its driest July in more than 120 years of recordkeeping, while temperatures made it the capital’s fourth-hottest July on record.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 25% of Puerto Rico was experiencing severe drought as of Aug. 4, while another 36% of the island was classified as being in moderate drought conditions.
