Rainwater Harvesting Could Shield Puerto Rico From Drought

Puerto Rico faces a historic drought with water rationing caused by aging pipes and leaks; despite plentiful rainfall, rainwater harvesting isn’t mandated or subsidized, a gap that keeps a low-cost, scalable relief option underused. If 1 million households adopted simple rain-catchment systems, the island could collect about 30 billion gallons a year, easing demand on the grid while larger infrastructure repairs are pursued. Political will, costs, and building codes remain hurdles to widespread adoption.