Coastal heat alert prompts eco-lodge water rationing

The Puerto Azul municipal authority issued a heat advisory on Monday as coastal temperatures reached 34°C, the highest reading of the season. The advisory, effective through the end of the week, asks eco-lodges and hotels to limit swimming-pool refills and stagger air-conditioning use during peak afternoon hours.

The measure is voluntary but has been adopted by most of the larger lodges along the northern shore. The municipal water board says consumption rose 11 percent last week, driven largely by pool evaporation and guest demand.