LAUDERDALE LAKES, Fla. — Puerto Rico is still trying to repair and rebuild its power grid after it was ravaged by Hurricane Maria nearly 10 years ago.
Now, in the middle of hurricane season, Puerto Ricans are facing another crisis — no water.
Tens of thousands of people are trying to collect every drop before they’re forced to go without as the island’s government rations water during a serious drought gripping the U.S. territory.
On the way to the island is some relief from a company in Lauderdale Lakes.
Jeffrey Szur, with Altitude Water, is sending about 100 water-making systems built in South Florida to Puerto Rico.
Szur said the machines use condensation and atmospheric water generation technology to make water from the air.
The systems have been deployed during natural disasters before, including the fires in Maui and in hurricane-impacted areas like Asheville.
The units can be plugged into generators or run on solar power, making them useful in places with deteriorating infrastructure like Puerto Rico.
“It’s not just the drought, it’s also the infrastructure where they’re losing all this water. They can’t deliver it,” Szur said.
“Even before the drought, people were already without water.”
For many Puerto Ricans, this is the latest in a series of crises on the island.
Sofia Droz, who went viral earlier this year, shared the difficulties of living in what she called a paradise where many people are forced to leave.
“You have this generation who loves Puerto Rico and really wants to push the island forward, but the living conditions are just unbearable,” Droz said.
“This isn’t a third world country. We’re talking about a U.S. territory.”
About 100 of the water-making systems are on their way to Puerto Rico. The company said a distributor working with the government there purchased the units for about $250,000.
When asked whether he trusts the systems will make it to where they’re needed, Szur said he plans to travel to Puerto Rico himself to make sure they do.
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