Saltwater Intrusion Threatens Drinking Water in Mississippi River and New Orleans

As drought conditions worsen in the Central US, saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico is moving upstream in the Mississippi River, contaminating drinking water for thousands of residents south of New Orleans. With little rain in sight, officials are working to find solutions before the saltwater infiltrates treatment plants serving tens of thousands more residents, including New Orleans. The saltwater intrusion is caused by low river levels and the density difference between saltwater and freshwater. Current estimates predict that unsafe, salty water could travel another 50 miles upstream through the end of October, potentially affecting the water supply of four parishes and over 80,000 people. The Army Corps of Engineers is constructing a higher underwater levee and plans to distribute up to 36 million gallons of freshwater per day with barges to reduce the salt content in the affected areas.