San Juan water rationing reached more than 180,000 households in August as the drought emergency deepened
Water rationing with rotating 48-hour shutoffs had reached more than 180,000 households in parts of the San Juan metropolitan area by August 10, 2026, three days after it began on Friday, August 7, ntd.com reported on August 10. The governor had declared a state of emergency on July 31.
Two days on, two days off
Affected communities receive water for roughly 48 hours, and then service is shut off for another 48 hours, the outlet reported. By August 10, the rationing had prompted an interagency support plan for municipalities and a drought committee.
On Sunday, August 9, the governor said she was coordinating with federal agencies, the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority and the Puerto Rico National Guard, according to the outlet. As of July 31, the Guard had distributed more than 505,000 gallons of water.
The outlet reported that July was the driest month on record in San Juan in more than 120 years. Critically low water levels at the Carraízo Reservoir have intensified the crisis.
Homes for sale and for rent in San Juan
The city has 1,449 (October 13, 2026) residential properties actively listed for sale, according to RED Atlas data, which is summarized at San Juan market profile.
Sellers in San Juan are asking a median of $372,030 (September 2026) for residential property. That is a seller's price, and a deed can record a different amount.
The rental market has fewer active listings than the sale market, with 1,126 (October 13, 2026) residential rentals on offer at the latest count.
Landlords in the city are asking a median monthly rent of $1,860 (September 2026). That figure counts what landlords ask, and signed leases do not enter it.
What the deed records show
Recorded sales trail the listings because deeds take time to register, so the most recent year drops out of the count. In October 2025, the latest month past that cutoff, the property registry recorded 407 (October 2025) residential sale deeds in San Juan.
Counted as transactions, that same month gives the city 407 (October 2025) residential sales drawn from registered sale deeds. The count includes deeds without a property type and excludes those typed as commercial, land or parking.