October was a month of water and money pressures on the island. La Plata fell 184 cm while the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) kept scheduled interruptions paused for Carraízo customers, and 42 of 78 municipios were in at least moderate drought by October 27. Over 2,000 families faced eviction proceedings in 2026, regular gasoline reached $4.33 a gallon in the Consumer Affairs Department (DACO) survey, and outages averaged 0.2% of customers.
The month’s biggest stories
- Shipwreck Near Mona Island: Three Bodies Recovered, 49 People Rescued
- Puerto Rico Mayors Press Fiscal Board to Speed Up $89 Million in Budget Disbursements: The Federation of Mayors of Puerto Rico requested the Financial Oversight and Management Board (JSF) to expedite the disbursement of $89 million in budget allocations.
- La Plata Reservoir Continues to Decline, No Rationing Considered: The La Plata reservoir is still at a ‘healthy’ level despite declining.
- Legal Aid Director Urges Measures to Curb Evictions as 2,000 Puerto Rico Families Face Them: Over 2,000 families have faced eviction proceedings in Puerto Rico in 2026, according to Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico.
- $354.6 Million Announced for 15 Water Infrastructure Projects in Aguadilla and Moca
- Government Rejects LUMA’s $1.3 Billion Estimate, Says 70% Unrelated to a Transition
- Contractor Dies During Improvement Work at AAA’s Caguas Norte Filtration Plant: A contractor died on Friday morning at the Caguas Norte filtration plant of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA), in circumstances being investigated by the Police.
- Puerto Rico Senate Passes New Planning and Permits Code Amid Criticism Over Lack of Debate: The new Planning and Permits Code would repeal 46 legal and administrative instruments and 50 laws.
Water
Carraízo rose 25 cm between the readings AAA published for October 1 and October 31, to 40.72 m, in the Safe band. The interruptions AAA scheduled for Carraízo customers were paused at the month’s end, as they have been since September 2.
La Plata fell 184 cm, Cidra rose 5 cm and Toa Vaca rose 92 cm.
| Reservoir | October 1 (AAA chart reading at the start of the month, meters) | October 31 (AAA chart reading at the end of the month) | Change (Over the month, in centimeters) | AAA band (AAA's operating band at the month's end) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carraízo | 40.47 | 40.72 | +25 cm | Safe |
| La Plata | 44.04 | 42.20 | −184 cm | Adjustments |
| Cidra | 400.54 | 400.59 | +5 cm | Watch |
| Toa Vaca | 146.99 | 147.91 | +92 cm | Safe |
More in the water desk’s last weekly review of the month.
Power
On the 29 mornings LUMA’s outage map was read, an average of 2,863 customers were without power, 0.2% of the island. The worst morning was October 1, with 17,152 customers out.
The week by week is in the month’s last Grid Watch.
Also this month
The US Drought Monitor map dated October 27 had 42 of 78 municipios in at least moderate drought.
One earthquake reached our quake reports, a magnitude 4.1 on October 28. The report.
The survey DACO published for September put regular gasoline at $4.33 a gallon, against $3.94 the month before.
Signed into law
- PC 208: Amend the Student Military Relations Law
- PC 315: Amend the Electoral Code of Puerto Rico
- PS 190: Amend Agricultural Labor Law to Include More Activities
- PS 896: Add Exception for Transportation Employees to Medicinal Cannabis Use
- RCC 186: Improving Energy and Water Services in Villas Del Sol
- PC 190: Amend the Requirements for High School Equivalency Exam
- RCC 168: Evaluate Transfer of Old School to Municipality
- RCC 171: Evaluate Transfer of Properties to Municipio De Juana Díaz
- RCC 340: Order the Agriculture Department to Free Land Conditions and Restrictions
- RCC 347: Name PR-8860 Highway After Heriberto Zayas Montañez
The Legislature’s weeks are in Legislature Week.
Every story of the month is in the October archive. This is the first monthly review.
Sources: the reporting linked above, the reservoir chart AAA publishes, LUMA’s outage map as read each morning, the US Drought Monitor, the Legislature’s records via Open States and the monthly fuel survey DACO publishes.