Mitigating New Orleans’ Salty Water Crisis

As New Orleans faces the impending threat of salty water intruding into its municipal drinking water supply, the situation presents a unique challenge that has set the city on edge. This crisis, described in a recent New York Times article, is generating conversation about water management in areas near or below sea level.

The issue has arisen due to drought conditions in the Midwest, leading to diminishing water levels in the Mississippi River. This, in turn, allows salty Gulf water to slowly advance upstream beneath a freshwater layer, raising concerns about potential corrosion of lead-lined pipes within the city.

The "saltwater wedge," as experts have coined it, is anticipated to impact water treatment plants near New Orleans in about a month, affecting the faucets of approximately a million people in southeastern Louisiana. Efforts are underway to mitigate this intrusion, including reinforcing underwater sills and transporting millions of gallons of fresh water from upstream by barge to treatment facilities.

The severity of this challenge is magnified by the uncertainty surrounding its duration and the fact that water levels have been steadily declining for the second consecutive year due to climate change. Local officials are gearing up for what could be a months-long ordeal, stressing the importance of staying informed and calm during this crisis. Read more about the saltwater wedge here: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/29/us/new-orleans-saltwater-intrusion.html