AAA to focus cloud seeding on La Plata reservoir
Cloud seeding operations will shift to the La Plata basin as drought conditions improve in eastern Puerto Rico and Carraízo reservoir recovers, officials said Tuesday.
File photoThe short version
- Telemundo Puerto Rico reports the AAA will concentrate cloud seeding on the La Plata basin after Carraízo recovered and with expected rain this week
- NotiCel reported meteorologist Ernesto Rodríguez said the next three days offer the best recent chance for rain over La Plata due to a trough and reduced winds
- Primera Hora reported La Plata remained at 43.45 meters with no change Tuesday and is the only reservoir at operational adjustment level
- NotiCel reported leaks reported by AAA dropped from about 2,000 in early August to around 1,300 in October
Shift in cloud seeding operations
The Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AAA) will focus upcoming cloud seeding flights on the La Plata basin following recovery at the Carraízo reservoir, Telemundo Puerto Rico reported. AAA executive president Luis Reinaldo González Delgado told reporters after a biweekly Drought Committee meeting that more than 20 recognition and operational flights have been conducted in both areas since the program began. He said the focus is shifting because Carraízo is showing better levels.
Meteorologist Ernesto Rodríguez of the National Weather Service said the next three days provide the best recent opportunity for rain directly over the La Plata basin because of a trough and decreased winds, NotiCel reported. Rodríguez told the news conference this is the best rain chance through the end of the work week, especially for La Plata.
Drought improvements and water service
La Plata remains under observation but its level decline has moderated and no scheduled service interruptions are planned for customers who depend on that reservoir, Primera Hora reported. González Delgado said recent rains have begun reaching the dam and runoff exceeds 100 cubic feet per second. Carraízo has reached optimal levels and controlled spillway openings continue for safety.
State Secretary Rosachely Rivera Santana said the reservoirs are stable and the only active scheduled interruption plan is limited to a sector of Naranjito. She said expected significant rains could benefit streams that supply that municipality and allow the plan to be lifted, according to NotiCel. González Delgado added that if rains reach those streams all customers would return to uninterrupted service.
Drought monitor update and long-term measures
Rodríguez said drought conditions have improved significantly over the past month, especially in eastern Puerto Rico where some areas had extreme drought. He anticipated that Thursday's update could remove the east, Sierra de Cayey and Sierra de Luquillo from drought categories while Canóvanas would drop from severe to moderate drought. La Plata basin, the southwest and south-central sectors would remain under drought watch, Telemundo Puerto Rico reported.
Rivera Santana said financial transfer of around $2.4 million was approved to the Autoridad para el Financiamiento de la Infraestructura to begin evaluation of wells that could be rehabilitated as alternate water sources. The work will coordinate with the departments of Health and Natural and Environmental Resources, AAA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NotiCel reported. Primera Hora reported a separate transfer of about $2 million to evaluate four wells in the Dorado area to supply the metropolitan region.
Where the sources differ
All three sources agree that the AAA will concentrate cloud seeding on La Plata, that the next three days offer the best rain opportunity there because of a trough and lower winds, and that drought has improved in the east with further improvement expected Thursday. They agree La Plata is the only reservoir at operational adjustment level, no interruptions are currently planned for it, and the only active interruption plan is in Naranjito. NotiCel and Primera Hora report La Plata at 43.45 meters with no change Tuesday and recent runoff over 100 cubic feet per second; Telemundo does not give the exact level. NotiCel alone reports the drop in reported leaks from 2,000 to 1,300 and the AAA's rejection of a 60% water loss estimate. Primera Hora alone notes the cloud seeding contract runs until November and describes the method. NotiCel and Primera Hora differ slightly on the funding amount for well evaluations ($2.4 million vs. $2 million) and the specific location (general vs. Dorado).
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state the current level of the La Plata reservoir relative to full capacity or the exact threshold that would trigger scheduled interruptions. They do not give the precise start date of the cloud seeding contract, the number of additional flights planned, or the expected rainfall amounts over La Plata. The articles also omit any timeline for completing the well evaluations or when new wells might become operational.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official AAA concentrará siembra de nubes en La Plata
- Reporting AAA concentrará siembra de nubes en La Plata
- Reporting Siembra de nubes concentrará operaciones en La Plata mientras sequía cede en gran parte de la isla
- Reporting AAA revela su plan para evitar el racionamiento en La Plata
How we checked this
Telemundo Puerto Rico, NotiCel and Primera Hora all covered Tuesday's Drought Committee meeting and press conference with AAA executive president Luis Reinaldo González Delgado, National Weather Service meteorologist Ernesto Rodríguez and State Secretary Rosachely Rivera Santana. Details on leak reduction, the 60% loss dispute and exact funding figures rest solely on NotiCel.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.