Recent rains raised the La Plata reservoir by six centimeters over 24 hours, according to records from the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA), but the increase is a small fraction of the significant drop the reservoir has suffered. The reservoir serves 110,000 customers in Bayamón, Cataño, Guaynabo, Toa Baja, Toa Alta, Naranjito, Corozal and Vega Alta.
Over the past month La Plata lost nearly two meters, approaching the Control band, the stage in which the AAA usually activates pressure-reduction protocols or even rationing. On Friday morning the reservoir stood at 41.84 meters, 1.84 meters above the 40.50-meter limit that would mark entry into the 'control' phase. As of the previous day it had lost 1.89 meters in a constant decline since October 7, when it read 43.65 meters.
Since summer ended and autumn began, La Plata has been the least recovered of the 13 reservoirs managed by the AAA and the Electric Power Authority. The Cidra reservoir is also low, in the 'Watch' band at 400.82 meters. Meanwhile, the Carraízo dam, which faced serious level problems and even had a rationing period in August, is nearly at the Spilling band, at 40.84 meters, in the 'Safe' band along with 14 other reservoirs.