The climate crisis continues to throw unexpected curveballs at cities and regions around the world, like the saltwater intrusion threatening the drinking water supply of the 1.2 million people in the New Orleans metropolitan area, which prompted President Joe Biden to declare a state emergency.
Earlier this month, the city received some welcome news: The wedge of saltwater that had been steadily advancing from the Gulf of Mexico up the Mississippi River had stalled, staving off a drinking water crisis in the city until late November, at least. A few days later, the wedge had retreated by more than five miles, giving the entire region even more breathing room.
Officials are still tentatively moving forward with emergency plans to safeguard the water supply, if necessary, including building a pipeline to bring in freshwater from further upstream to dilute the salinity of water at the city’s water treatment plants. (It’s unhealthy and eventually fatal for people to drink water above a certain salinity, and desalinating water is extremely expensive.) That pipeline would take up to 45 days to construct and could cost up to an estimated $250 million.
Although the saltwater wedge didn’t make national headlines until it began threatening New Orleans, smaller communities downriver have been without drinking water since June. Even if the city is spared—this year at least—it has revealed some crucial vulnerabilities in the region.
Jessica S. McKenzie 