Tegucigalpa water supply strain spurs San José dam construction progress

The San José dam, intended to become the capital’s first new water source in three decades, has reached 46% of its construction schedule, with municipal officials aiming for completion by 2028. Mayor Juan Diego Zelaya highlighted accelerated work, night‑time lighting, and efforts to recover from a 17‑month pause.

At the same time, the capital faces a worsening water‑supply crisis as drought has lowered reservoir levels. Municipal risk‑management director Julio Quiñónez warned that by late August the main reservoirs could fall to 15‑20% capacity, forcing greater chemical treatment and increasing reliance on tanker deliveries that now serve some neighborhoods only every 15‑20 days. The administration is drilling new wells, rehabilitating existing ones, and promoting rain‑water harvesting to mitigate the shortage and its health‑risk implications.