http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

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Drinking water advisories in Plaquemines Parish have been lifted as reverse osmosis machines and barges moving millions of gallons of water were arriving to dilute the salt in the water to safe levels below 250 ppm consistently. FOX 8 (New Orleans, La.), Oct 18, 2023 The water supply for communities drawing water from the Mississippi River is being protected by an underwater barrier to block the progression of a saltwater wedge that is moving upstream since July. The saltwater is expected to overtop the current barrier sometime around Sept. 22. In June, saltwater affected the drinking water of residents in lower Plaquemines Parish, forcing them to use water provided by the parish. About 2,000 people were using the distributed water, and the parish has given out more than 1.5 million gallons of water. If the saltwater were to reach Belle Chasse, at least 20,000 more people would need potable water. The bed of the Mississippi River is below sea level throughout the entire length of Louisiana, so when drought reduces the flow of the river, the salty, denser ocean water can creep further upstream. WWNO 89.9 (New Orleans, La.), Sept 19, 2023 Plaquemines Parish has been dealing with water line breaks and the saltwater wedge in the Mississippi River for months as drought affects the region. Lower parts of Plaquemines Parish have not had clean drinking water for months due to a saltwater wedge creeping up the Mississippi River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built an underwater sill in July to slow the movement of the wedge upstream, but the wedge is expected to push past the sill and reach Belle Chasse by October 3. WWL-TV (New Orleans, La.), Sept 17, 2023