As we talked about in this recent news post, hurricanes can have a significant negative impact on an area’s water supply. Those problems are worse in Puerto Rico, which had its electrical grid knocked out by Hurricane Maria.
U.S. News reports, “electricity is needed to pump, treat and filter water that shows up in household taps.” Some reports suggest it could be months until the power is fully restored in Puerto Rico.
Making matters even worse is the fact that Puerto Rico’s water system was already in bad shape. According to Slate, “In 2015, 99.5 percent of Puerto Ricans got their water from systems that had violated the Safe Drinking Water Act”. The ongoing crisis could further weaken water systems.
Th best solution for the moment is to get the people of Puerto Rico water filters to ensure all residents have access to clean drinking water. Those efforts also remain a work in progress.
Learn more about the water crisis in Puerto Rico by checking out these resources:
