This is not good news, folks:
That image above shows you the estimated timeline of the saltwater intrusion.
Seriously, water supply is nothing to mess around with, and after a summer drought like we had, it's no surprise to me that this is happening: Salt water from the Gulf of Mexico is literally creeping up the Mississippi River and will quite possibly make its way into the water supply of 1.2 million people.
Salt water creeping up the Mississippi River is threatening the drinking water supply in New Orleans for the first time in more than 30 years.
Why it matters: The water supply for more than 1.2 million people is expected to become unsafe to drink by late October.
- President Biden declared the situation a national emergency last week.
- If contaminated, it could be weeks or months before freshwater returns, unless there is significant rainfall, leaders say…
- Many municipalities in southeast Louisiana, including New Orleans, pull their drinking water from the river.
If you don't know, New Orleans was built right at sea level in the huge delta where the Mississippi meets the sea. It takes a lot of engineering to make the city itself possible.
- Communities further south have had salt in their water since June.
- The Army Corps of Engineers expects the saltwater intrusion to reach New Orleans by Oct. 22. Officials are working on plans to mitigate water disruption.
News flash: Salt water is not good for you to consume, and it destroys water infrastructure such as lead and iron piping.
A lot of people, particularly those in New Orleans, are going to be left out to dry if we don't get some significant rainfall in that Mississippi River Valley soon.
Here are some government maps showing the progress of the saltwater creep (red arrow points to the current location):
Currently, in those municipalities south of New Orleans, they've started using a reverse osmosis machine which removes the salt from the water. This machine doesn't have the capacity to serve the entirety of New Orleans, however, so the city is looking into building pipelines to pull water from further upriver.
Yes, they're building water pipelines because their drinking water is about to be contaminated by saltwater.
Keep an eye on this one, folks. And prayers up to all the people in Southern Louisiana; may your drinking water stay unsalted.
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