Louisiana GOHSEP and saltwater intrusion plans

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Orleans, and Jefferson Parishes are expected to be impacted by the increased salinity in the Mississippi River.

“Right now, the water intakes in lower Plaquemines are the only ones that are experiencing the full brunt of this issue,” said Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Casey Tingle.

Tingle said plans are being implemented to curtail the issue and at this time there’s no reason to panic. He said unfortunately because of the low water conditions projected to remain on the Mississippi River, it’s expected to move upriver and impact the larger populations in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes.

“And so, the time that we have over the next three, to four to five weeks, depending upon how the issue progresses, is what we are using to develop alternative courses of action to try to mitigate those impacts,” said Tingle.

Tingle said GOHSEP is working with all parties to rectify the issue and implement emergency plans should they be needed. For residents in the four parishes expected to be impacted, he encourages them to know who their local water supplier is and to visit emergency.la.gov for the most up-to-date information.

“That should allow residents of all four of those parishes to stay up to date with both local information as well as statewide information,” said Tingle.

GOHSEP recommends having one gallon per person for at least days, for drinking and sanitation. At this time only Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Orleans, and Jefferson Parishes are expected to be impacted by the saltwater intrusion.