News

**ULP UNKNOWN LUNATIC POSTER**

The latest fallout from the historic U.S. drought: salty tap water in southern Louisiana.

Saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico is creeping up the Mississippi River, affecting drinking water in communities near the river's mouth and triggering a scramble to ferry in emergency supplies. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also is building a barrier on the riverbed to halt the saline flow.

Salt-filled water had traveled about 90 miles upriver as of Friday, much farther than the 12 to 15 miles in a typical summer. That is causing headaches for the 24,000 residents of Plaquemines Parish, which stretches along 80 miles of the Mississippi from just south of New Orleans to the Gulf.

"It's still moving, but it's slowing down,'' said Guy Laigast, director of emergency preparedness for the parish. The region sits in swampy land about 15 feet below sea level and residents more often grapple with flooding than freshwater shortages.

The Mississippi's powerful flow normally flushes out saltwater, but a severe national drought has weakened it. Saltwater—which is heavier than freshwater—is crawling upriver along the bottom, where pipes for drinking water are located.

Plaquemines, with the help of state and federal authorities, is tapping alternative supplies farther upstream to meet the parish's daily water consumption of nine million gallons. On Friday, it was preparing to unload six barges—some holding as much as 900,000 gallons of fresh water—that had been filled upriver near New Orleans.

An Army Corps subcontractor Thursday began building an $8.1 million underwater barrier in Plaquemines, creating a speed bump of sorts to slow down the saltwater. The barrier, made of river mud, will take about six weeks to be completed and last throughout the drought. The Corps said it built similar barriers in 1988 and 1999.

READ MORE HERE:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872...83674.html

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 113008 08-21-2012 09:58 PM

Wow! Thanks OP

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 115944 08-21-2012 10:01 PM

You ever get that sinking feeling?

**Luvapottamus**

I'll bet that's just great for the plumbing too.

Yuck.

**Karu**

**Karu**

Luvapottamus Wrote:

I'll bet that's just great for the plumbing too.

Yuck.