The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) launched a cloud-seeding program as part of measures to fight drought on the island. AAA Executive President Luis González Delgado said the initiative was evaluated starting in August, with the first operation conducted Saturday, September 5, taking advantage of favorable weather conditions. Governor Jenniffer González Colón said in a press release that cloud seeding is “an additional tool” to address drought effects and will complement, not replace, AAA’s existing measures, aiming to extend water system performance and strengthen the response to lack of rain.
AAA contracted Seeding Operations & Atmospheric Research (SOAR) for advisory and weather-modification services through an expedited emergency process, at an estimated cost of up to $400,000, with the contract valid through November. González Delgado explained the technique doesn’t create rain absent proper conditions but accelerates natural processes in existing suitable clouds by dispersing saline solutions, which he said pose no risk to human health, flora, or fauna due to controlled quantities used.
Operations won’t occur daily but will depend on weather conditions identified by SOAR meteorologists to maximize results. SOAR must also prepare reports on operations and outcomes as part of the contract.