Source: Axios
Excerpt:
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.
Catch up quick: A drought across the Mississippi River Valley means salt water from the Gulf of Mexico is coming upriver, threatening drinking water supplies in New Orleans and two nearby parishes.
- Many municipalities in southeast Louisiana, including New Orleans, pull their drinking water from the river.
- 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.
Read more: New Orleans bracing for major threat to drinking water supply
