Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González announced Monday that water rationing will remain paused, at least for this week, for neighborhoods in San Juan, Las Piedras, Gurabo, Carolina, Juncos, Loíza, Trujillo Alto and Canóvanas that draw from the Carraízo reservoir. Speaking at a press conference after meeting with the Drought Committee at La Fortaleza, González cited recent rains, water management efforts and cloud seeding as reasons the reservoir has moved to "observation" level, a healthier status than weeks earlier, with La Plata reservoir levels also rising.
She urged residents, especially those in the La Plata area, to use water prudently. National Weather Service director Ernesto Rodríguez said the Carraízo and La Plata basins received about one to one-and-a-half inches of rain. Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) daily data showed Carraízo rose 2 centimeters to 39.16 meters, while La Plata rose 14 centimeters to 44.40 meters.
The governor said cloud seeding by contractor Seeding Operations & Atmospheric Research (SOAR), under a contract of up to six months, will continue as a precaution; four flights have occurred so far—two reconnaissance and two operational—with the operational flights coinciding with last week’s rains.