The crisis that affected thousands of people in Puerto Rico
What is happening in parts of San Juan is only one element of a cocktail of large-scale supply problems that threaten an economy tightly overseen for a decade by a fiscal control board imposed by Washington.
For years, water production at key treatment plants has declined as investment fell amid the economic crisis. Essential maintenance has not been carried out on a critical water transfer system that supplies northern Puerto Rico and has become a major source of water for the metropolitan area, the island’s economic engine. Millions of gallons of water are lost every day through what are commonly known as “salideros” or “leaks” and what an official report classifies as ”non-revenue water,” resulting in annual losses of $98 million, based on the cost of producing that water.
