New Orleans has faced more than its fair share of environmental crises. But this time, a massive drought has the Crescent City bracing for impact.
On Friday, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued an emergency declaration warning that low water levels in the Mississippi River could impact drinking water in Orleans Parish. Cantrell joined other local officials and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards in calling attention to the impending crisis.
Officials worry that historically low-water levels could cause salt water from the Gulf of Mexico to creep farther into the Mississippi River, tainting the water supply.
According to NBC News the briny water (i.e., water with a high concentration of salt) could reach water facilities in the New Orleans’ suburb of Belle Chasse by October 13 and treatment facilities in New Orleans later in October. The neighboring community, Plaquemines Parish, has already dealt with saltwater intrusion into their water supply during the Summer, causing thousands to rely on water bottles for clean water.
Excess salt in drinking water can be deadly (which is why you’re never supposed to drink ocean water). A high concentration of salt water can cause high blood pressure and exacerbate other pre-existing health conditions.
The potential drinking water crisis in yet another majority-Black community highlights the escalating threat of climate change to Black Americans, an issue that Black New Orleanians are already far too familiar with post-Katrina.
For now, the drinking water in New Orleans Parish is still being deemed safe, according to the the Mayor’s Office. However, experts are desperately hoping that the situation in the Mississippi River will turn around before it reaches a crisis point.