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BOOTHVILLE, La.—Just off the Mississippi River in southeast Louisiana, an 18-wheeler trailer filled with white cylinders whirred as workers prepared to turn the machine off for the day. The truck houses a reverse osmosis system and it’s stopping saltwater from contaminating drinking water for more than 20,000 people.
This is the third year in a row that saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico has crept up the Mississippi River. This phenomenon, known as saltwater intrusion, occurs when the rate of flow in the river dips below 300,000 cubic feet per second, leaving the river’s freshwater unable to push back against saltwater at its mouth. Previously, this only happened about once per decade.
For cities within 100 miles of the river’s southern terminus—most of whom depend on the river’s freshwater for their drinking water—saltwater intrusion is an existential threat. Last year, the saltwater wedge almost reached as far as New Orleans, 80 miles upriver, causing panic until rains pushed it downriver.
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But it did reach Plaquemines Parish, which surrounds the last 70 miles of the Mississippi.
“When you go across the ferry and you look out at the water, when it’s blue-green type water I can guarantee you Boothville and the lower end of our parish is saltwater,” said Keith Hinkley, the president of Plaquemines Parish.
In 2023, the presence of saltwater that far up the river affected the drinking water for months, forcing residents to buy bottled water and replace appliances damaged by the salinity. Even after the water became safe, residents were still afraid to drink from their tap. Consuming saltwater can cause dehydration. The chloride could have also damaged outdated pipes, releasing lead and other contaminants into the water.
“If you’d have been around us last year, it was brutal. It was bad. Our residents were suffering because of it,” said Hinkley. “And this year, our goal was to not let them even feel the impact of the saltwater.”
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