Thirsty, hungry, and underfed. This is what is happening under the nose of the United States government. Puerto Rico, a United States territory, has suffered months under a water crisis. Limited access to water due to the government’s lack of care for the nation’s infrastructure and the ongoing climate crisis are wreaking havoc on our slice of paradise. I was born by the beach—my dad has a permanent sun tan, and my mother’s bones hurt at the idea of an east coast winter. The island I carry in my heart is being dehydrated to death, with the small water left being handed to tourists in high-class hotels and no care for the natives working it. In the words of our most famous artists, this drought was manufactured to displace our natives. The question is, what happened?
The island of Puerto Rico lies in the Caribbean, originally home to the Taino people who called it BorinquĂ©n; hence my people referring to themselves as Boricua. As all history goes, we were colonized by the Spanish in 1493, who renamed the island San Juan Bautista. In 1508, Juan Ponce de LeĂłn (familiar?) founded the first European settlement, Caparra, which was renamed Puerto Rico (“rich port”) in 1521. In July 1898, during the Spanish-American War, U.S. Army forces occupied Puerto Rico in Guánica. Under the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the war later that year, Spain ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines, and Cuba to the United States. Finally, in 1917, Congress passed the Jones-Shafroth Act, which granted U.S. citizenship to all Puerto Ricans (History, 2017). This is a quickly summed up history of the island; but relevant to today’s issue.
The island’s infrastructure looks more like an afterthought these days. Puerto Rico used to hold thousands of factory pharmaceutical jobs; now, most of the native population is unemployed. Living off under the table jobs, and juggling several of them to make ends meet. I’d source this fact, but I have none. These are things I learned from sitting with my family. CNN published an article titled “In Puerto Rico, even when it doesn’t rain, it pours”, detailing the delicacy of the situation. They explain how nearly 60% of water treated by the aqueduct and sewer authority was lost mostly due to inaccurate meters, unauthorized water consumption, or water main leaks. The island has spent more than 200 days without water; that’s 54% of the year spent in drought. Healthline reports say that the human body cannot go more than roughly three days without water; yet an entire population is to manage 200 of them?
The poor infrastructure only accentuates the drought the island is already facing. The PBS network reported that the U.S. government announced a drought disaster for more than two dozen cities and towns in Puerto Rico as the crisis continued, with no relief in sight. Boricuas lay awake, praying for rain. Yet, even then, rain was worth nothing but a short-lived relief. If the rain missed the reservoirs, then the island was still at a loss, as reported by the Yale Climate Connections. Can you imagine living on an island with no water, bad infrastructure, drought, and a government who barely recognizes you? It sounds like the plot of a bad dystopian movie; yet it’s all true, and it’s happening under our stripes and stars.Â
However, you can help. Donations are of the utmost importance. Various organizations like Project PR Relief, which focuses on direct delivery of bottled water, filters, and emergency reserves to affected communities in partnership with local churches and municipalities; PRxPR, a humanitarian non-profit directing 100% of funds to vetted local initiatives on the ground addressing basic needs like clean water access and community recovery; and Ridge to Reefs, which works on long-term sustainability by building off-grid rainwater harvesting, filtration systems, and community water security capacity. Although the situation is getting better, it got better alone. Puerto Rican citizens like myself are just as much American as someone born in Los Angeles, California or the Bronx, New York City. We were left to our own devices to rehydrate ourselves. No more. Water is a human right; we should do all we can to preserve it. Help Puerto Rico, the nation still has people suffering. It’s been like this since the start of August. When will it be enough?Â
Works Cited
History.com Editors. “Puerto Rico – San Juan, Flag & Map | HISTORY.” History, 28 Sept. 2017, www.history.com/articles/puerto-rico-history. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.
PBS News. “U.S. Declares Drought Disaster for Parts of Puerto Rico After Driest Month on Record for San Juan.” PBS News, 26 Aug. 2026, www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/u-s-declares-drought-disaster-for-parts-of-puerto-rico-after-driest-month-on-record-for-san-juan. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.
Rafael Méndez Tejeda, Pearl Marvell. “What You Need to Know About the Water Crisis in Puerto Rico.” Yale Climate Connections, 13 Aug. 2026, yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/08/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-water-crisis-in-puerto-rico/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.
Sanchez, Ray, and Isabel Rosales. “In Puerto Rico, Even When It Doesn’t Rain, It Pours.” CNN, 28 Aug. 2026, www.cnn.com/2026/08/28/us/puerto-rico-water-crisis. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.
Silver, Natalie. “How Long Can You Live Without Water? Effects of Dehydration.” Healthline, 2018, www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/how-long-can-you-live-without-water. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.
