Water & Climate · Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Alajuela

Water Rationing Hits 74 Costa Rican Communities as El Niño Dries Wells

By Sept. 24, 2026, 32 community water boards serving 74 communities in Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Alajuela were rationing water because El Niño had left springs and wells running low or dry. It's a snapshot from the middle of what should be the rainy season, and forecasters expect the drought to carry into a dry season that starts in November.

By Pura-Verde.com Editors · Published October 30, 2026
Original report: The Tico Times: Water Rationing Hits 74 Communities as El Niño Dries Out Costa Rica's Pacific Side (2026-09-24)

September is normally one of the wettest months in Guanacaste. This year, by late September, 32 community water boards in 74 communities on Costa Rica's Pacific side had started rationing water because their springs and wells were giving less, and in some places nothing at all, The Tico Times reported on Sept. 24. The cause is El Niño, and forecasters say it isn't done yet.

How many people are affected, and where

The rationing touched about 6,525 household and business connections, according to the national confederation that represents Costa Rica's community water systems. Semanario Universidad, reporting the same day, identified that body as Conaflu and listed 11 affected cantons: Nicoya, Santa Cruz, Hojancha, Nandayure, Abangares, Cañas, Tilarán, Carrillo, Puntarenas, Orotina and San Ramón.

That spread covers the Nicoya Peninsula, the dry lowlands of central Guanacaste, the hills around Lake Arenal, the Gulf of Nicoya coast near Puntarenas, and the foothills where the western Central Valley drops toward the Pacific. Emel Rodríguez Paniagua, the confederation's vice president, told The Tico Times that 23 of the rationing systems were in Guanacaste, where some towns were relying on tanker trucks and donated water.

In Moracia de Nicoya, the local water board's vice president, Jeffry Pérez Hernández, told Semanario Universidad that one of the community's main deep wells had dried up completely.

These figures are a snapshot from one week in September. Each community system sets its own schedule, and the list can grow or shrink as conditions change.

Who runs the water in rural Costa Rica

Most rural towns in Costa Rica don't get their water from the national utility, AyA. They're served by community-run associations known as ASADAS, volunteer and staff boards that manage a local spring or well, the pipes and the bills. That local model is a point of pride, but it also means small systems with a single source have little backup when that source fails. It's one reason so many homes and lodges now store rain, as our guide to rainwater harvesting and water-smart living explains.

Larger utilities have more options. AyA told The Tico Times that some of its own sources were already below normal for the season. In Heredia, the public utility ESPH issued a green alert but said it could switch to wells when surface sources drop.

Why it's happening: a very strong El Niño

The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) declared a meteorological drought across the entire Pacific slope, the Central Valley and the western northern zone, according to The Tico Times, with rainfall running as much as 37% below normal. Semanario Universidad reported that the National Emergency Commission put 23 cantons on orange alert and 52 on yellow alert on Sept. 18.

The El Niño event is unusually strong. The Tico Times noted that August ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific beat those of the big El Niño years of 1997 and 2015. On Oct. 21, CRHoy reported that the IMN expects the event to reach "very strong" intensity from November 2026 through January 2027, with temperatures up to 2°C above normal and drought persisting in the Pacific and Central Valley.

Meanwhile the opposite is happening on the other side of the mountains. Rainfall in the Caribbean and northern zone ran up to 42% above normal, flooding pastures and damaging some bridges and rural roads around Sarapiquí, Guápiles and parts of Limón.

Farms and cattle are feeling it too

The drought isn't only a household problem. The Guanacaste ranchers' federation reported cattle dying from lack of feed in several parts of the province, and its executive director, José Chaves Ballestero, told The Tico Times that midyear hay production fell by 50% to 70%. Dry, hot conditions also raise the risk of forest fires like those Guanacaste fought earlier this year.

What comes next: the dry season

The real worry is what follows. The IMN's forecast, as reported by CRHoy, puts the start of the dry season in the North Pacific between Nov. 3 and 15 and in the Central Valley between Nov. 8 and 23. That means many Pacific communities will head into four or five rainless months with springs and wells already depleted.

Rodríguez told The Tico Times that flood-damaged systems usually recover once rivers drop and repairs are done, but sources that are simply drying out have no quick fix.

What residents and visitors can do

The Costa Rican Association of Chemists, cited by The Tico Times, advised storing drinking water only in clean, lidded containers made for that purpose, and to stop drinking and report any water that changes color, smell or taste. Semanario Universidad reported that a school director in Moracia had seen cases of children with diarrhea and vomiting, which she linked to water stored at home during the cuts.

If you're traveling in Guanacaste or the Nicoya Peninsula over the coming months, take shorter showers, reuse towels and ask your host whether the local system is on a schedule. Many eco-lodges run their own water-saving systems, and they'll know the local situation best. Rationing is also one more reason the Tempisque River court case matters to the region's water future. For community projects that help towns ride out droughts, see our guide to climate resilience in Costa Rica.

Frequently asked questions

Is there water rationing in Guanacaste right now?

In late September 2026, 23 community water systems in Guanacaste were rationing, according to the confederation of community water boards. Schedules are set locally and change often, so check with your local ASADA or your hotel.

Why is Costa Rica's Pacific coast so dry in 2026?

A very strong El Niño has cut rainfall on the Pacific slope and in the Central Valley, and the IMN declared a meteorological drought there. It expects El Niño to stay very strong through January 2027.

When does the 2026 dry season start in Guanacaste?

The IMN forecast the North Pacific dry season would begin between Nov. 3 and 15, 2026, as reported by CRHoy on Oct. 21.

Is tap water safe during rationing?

Water from a regulated system is generally treated, but storage is the weak point. Use clean, covered containers made for drinking water, and stop using any water that looks, smells or tastes different, then report it to the local water board.

Sources and original reporting

1. The Tico Times: Water Rationing Hits 74 Communities as El Niño Dries Out Costa Rica's Pacific Side (2026-09-24)
2. Semanario Universidad: El Niño seca las fuentes de agua: 32 Asadas de Guanacaste, Puntarenas y Alajuela ya aplican racionamientos (2026-09-24)
3. CRHoy: ¡No más lluvias! Estas son las fechas para el ingreso de la época seca (2026-10-21)
4. Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN)
5. AyA

We wrote this story from the published reports and official sources above. We didn't interview the people named unless the story says so.