Puerto Rico has announced water rationing in San Juan due to an intense drought, prompting concerns for visitors to the island. Starting Friday, more than 180,000 water customers will face alternating 48-hour water outages, according to The Associated Press. July was the driest month in San Juan in over 120 years and the second hottest on record.
The U.S. Drought Monitor reports nearly 25% of Puerto Rico is under severe drought, while another 36% experiences moderate drought. These conditions are causing some tourists to reconsider their travel plans.
In a travel forum on Reddit, a visitor expressed concern about the impact on their stay, even though the hotel has an emergency water supply. Other users gave mixed advice on the situation, noting that while hotels might cope well with cisterns and generators, guests should remain flexible.
“Hotels are probably the least affected,” one user noted, but businesses and restaurants may need to adapt. Another advised travelers to anticipate minor inconveniences like no ice in drinks or limited car wash availability.
Ultimately, the original forum poster decided to cancel their trip, reporting partial refunds and hopes to visit in the future.
This situation is not unique to Puerto Rico. Earlier this year, Hawaii faced brown water advisories due to heavy rain runoff after a storm. This raised health concerns about potential contaminants in the water.
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