Puertorriqueños enfrentan un caluroso verano sin servicio de agua confiable (el Nuevo Dia 4 de julio 2026)

Featured image: San Juan, uno de los municipios más afectados, reportó pérdidas millonarias en su suplido de agua potable tanto para comerciantes como para residentes. - Carlos Rivera Giusti/Staff

Last year I had my second letter published in El Nuevo Dia. Since then I think the water situation has gotten worse.

Published in EL NUEVO DIA

English translation:

According to OSAN (Organization of Aqueduct Systems Not Belonging to the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority), 120,000 Puerto Ricans do not receive service from the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA). While some dig their own wells, others depend on spring water or mountain runoff, shared among neighbors or by an entire community.

Regulations exist for these water sources, but complying with them is prohibitively expensive and, in general, they are not enforced. Although these communities do not pay a monthly bill for service, they must raise funds to repair broken pumps, pipes, or storage tanks.

There is a law, Law No. 136 of 1976, which establishes that all water in Puerto Rico is the property of the people and is subject to the control of the State, not the private sector. Even if the well is dug on private property, it is mandatory to register it and install a water meter.

These requirements are impossible to meet for those who are not connected to the municipal water system. And those who are connected face problems, whether broken pipes, power outages, or both.

No matter where the water comes from, in the end, we're all screwed.

Confessions of an aging writer:

So I'm not bilingual...in the past forty one years on the island, I thought I was getting to the bilingual point. I was actually able to eavesdrop, which was one of my goals. Now I'd say my primary language is Spanglish.  I can no longer think of the word in English or Spanish so my first draft is always a bit of a mishmosh.

I basically wrote the letter in my Spanish, looking up some things in google translate. My daughter read it and said that it was ok but didn't sound quite right...so I put it in ChatGPT and lo and behold....it's right!

I did want to end with "estamos jodidos"" (we're fucked) but wanted to say it more politely. ChatGPT gave me ways that I never had heard of...until I put Puerto Rican spanish.

Example of ChatGPT: you're screwed

Casual / Mild

• Estás en problemas.

• La tienes difícil.

Stronger / Very colloquial

• Estás fastidiado.

• Estás bien chavado. (Caribbean/Puerto Rico vibe)

Strong / Vulgar (similar to “you’re screwed”)

• Estás jodido.

• Te fastidiaste.Te jo**ste. (very strong; use with caution)

If you want, I can tailor it to Puerto Rico Spanish or to a specific tone (serious, humorous, sarcastic, etc.).

Although I feel like a cheater....I  guess it's the "way of the future"

...and I got my letter published