{"id":119006,"date":"2023-11-03T23:43:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-04T03:43:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/?p=119006"},"modified":"2023-11-09T11:03:34","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T16:03:34","slug":"saltwater-intrusion-in-new-orleans-is-the-worst-really-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/saltwater-intrusion-in-new-orleans-is-the-worst-really-over\/","title":{"rendered":"Saltwater Intrusion in New Orleans: Is the Worst Really Over?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Thu T. A. Nguyen, Publishing Associate: Researcher and Writer at Save the Water\u2122 | November 3, 2023<\/span><\/p>\n

Water is the most important substance for life. However, freshwater sources can be threatened in many ways: drought, pollution, saltwater intrusion, and so forth. In recent months, news outlets paid specific attention to the example of <\/span>saltwater intrusion in New Orleans<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Saltwater Intrusion?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Saltwater intrusion (or infiltration) is what it\u2019s called when water from the ocean flows into freshwater in rivers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Naturally, there is a large amount of water flowing from rivers into the ocean. The water comes from mountains, rain in higher places, and smaller streams. Most often, <\/span>rain is the main source of water for river<\/span><\/a>s. When there isn\u2019t enough water flowing from the river, the ocean water can go back into the rivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adding to this problem, <\/span>the global sea level has been increasing since 1880<\/span><\/a>. This can bring an array of issues, like in the figure below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Current Situation in New Orleans<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

In recent years, there have been extreme drought conditions across the US. This has caused <\/span>the water level on the Mississippi River to decrease for the second year in a row<\/span><\/a>. Additionally, according to the US Geological Survey, the Mississippi River has flowed at <\/span>half the rate needed to keep saltwater at bay<\/span><\/a>. On September 22, President Joe Biden announced a <\/span>federal emergency<\/span><\/a> in Louisiana to bring federal disaster assistance to the area. This greatly helped the relief efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without a more permanent solution, this issue will <\/span>potentially affect 8 hundred thousand people or more<\/span><\/a> through to the end of October. State officials predict that this saltwater intrusion could last until January of next year. Not only is the saltwater unsafe to drink, but it can also corrode lead pipes, bringing additional health threats.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, the water in New Orleans is still safe to drink. However, a solution must be found soon because the situation is dire.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are State Officials Doing?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Multiple urgent actions have been taken by State officials and the Army Corps to alleviate the severity of this problem:<\/p>\n