PLAQUEMINES PARISH, La. —
It could be two weeks or more before water in lower Plaquemines Parish is drinkable again.
Saturday, the areas from Empire Bridge to Venice and Phoenix to Bohemia were still under a drinking water advisory due to salt contamination. Over the past few months, seawater from the Gulf of Mexico has been creeping up the Mississippi River, which is at historically low levels and does not have enough pressure to keep it away.
WWL-TV has covered the progression of the saltwater wedge extensively. As of Wednesday, the “toe” was estimated to be about 10 miles downriver from Belle Chasse. You can see the Army Corps of Engineers’ tracker here.
On Saturday, Patrick Harvey, Director of the Parish’s Emergency Preparedness Office, told WWL-TV the Parish is still waiting on a reverse osmosis unit for the Boothville water treatment plant. Reverse osmosis removes impurities from water by forcing it through a membrane.
Harvey said once the unit is in place, the salt level in the water should drop low enough to lift the advisory. He believes it will be in “by next week at the latest,” and fully operational in 10 to14 days.
In the meantime, progress has been made toward restoring water pressure in the affected area. A water treatment plant in Port Sulphur that was damaged during Hurricane Ida was brought back online Saturday.
It will process “2 million gallons of water a day,” which will be combined with water from the Belle Chasse plant and sent downriver. In addition to helping restore pressure, the dilution will also, “bring chlorides down in that drinking water advisory area,” said Harvey.
Plaquemines Parish is giving away bottled water at several locations while the advisory remains in place. It is available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p,m, at the Percy Griffin Community Center in Davant and the fire stations in Buras and Boothville.