Puerto Rico Water-Use Science and Information Program

The National Water-Use Information Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is a cooperative program designed to compile, store, and disseminate water-use information locally and nationwide. The program was implemented in Puerto Rico in 1980 to provide data for the management of the Commonwealth's water resources. It is essential for water-resources planners and managers to have information regarding the amount of water used, and where and how it is used, so they can adequately assess many of the critical water problems facing Puerto Rico.

• Water-Use Categories
• Water Balance

Objectives: The major objectives of the Puerto Rico Use Science and Information Program are to:

• Maintain accountability of the water use in Puerto Rico
• Create a computerized data base for data entry and retrieval of water-use information
• Compile water-use data of uniform quality
• Define new methodologies for obtaining and analysing high-quality water-use data
• Present information and reports that will help to predict the availability of future water resources of Puerto Rico
• Identify water-use problems so that appropriate management solutions can be determined

Approach: In order to meet the general objectives of the Program in Puerto Rico and to maintain an adequate database, the USGS takes into account the following:

• Maintains cooperative agreements with local government agencies to compile water-use data by categories in order to provide data for the management of water resources in Puerto Rico. Currently the USGS does not maintain any cooperative agreements with the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• A quality assurance plan for the water-use activities of the Caribbean Water Science Center was prepared to provide a formal standardization, documentation, and review of the policies, practices, and activities that are used by the center for assuring the technical quality and reliability of its water-use data.

Cooperative Agreements: In order to meet the general objectives of the Puerto Rico Water-Use Information Program and to maintain an adequate data base, the USGS, WRD maintains cooperative agreements with the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA), the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER), and the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board (PREQB) to compile water-use data for major use categories that are of importance to water resources managers and planners in Puerto Rico.

Publications: Both National and Caribbean Water Science Center water use publications are available online. For further information on available reports and brochures, please contact the Caribbean Water Science Center Information Liason by telephone at (787) 749-4346 x 296 or by e-mail at gs-w-prsjn_information@usgs.gov.