The US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District has released the latest Saltwater Wedge Timeline forecast of when water treatment facilities may be impacted by saltwater intrusion.
Currently, Belle Chasse Water Treatment Plant is not expected to be impact until November 30th.
The
Dalcour Water Treatment Plant is not expected to be impacted per the updated timeline.
Chloride levels throughout the entire parish remain well below 250 mg/l being supplied to our residents & businesses. All Drinking Water Advisories were lifted on Wednesday, October 19th after consulting with LDH. LDH & Inframark are conducting additional testing of lead and copper throughout the parish.
Contractors are finalizing installation and testing of water samples of reverse osmosis units at the following water treatment plants: Boothville, Port Sulphur, and Pointe a la Hache. They are anticipating to be operational by next week. Barging of water to the Port Sulphur and Pointe a la Hache Plants are ongoing.
Water line "tie-in" projects between Plaquemines & Orleans Parishes has been completed. Work between Plaquemines and Jefferson Parishes is ongoing. Work between Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parish is still in progress.
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Saltwater Intrusion - Chloride Levels
Daily we analyze chloride levels before and after water treatment. Examining chloride levels enables us to gauge the salt content in both the Mississippi River and our tap water. This testing is done at each water treatment facility within the parish. The following data represents the daily measurements.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that a High Sodium Water Advisory is issued if the chloride levels reach 250 mg/L (ppm).
The EPA’s secondary maximum contaminant level (MCL for chlorides, has not been exceeded in any part of Plaquemines Parish since October 1st. We anticipate that chloride levels will remain below this limit for the duration of the saltwater crisis.
Contractors are currently in the process of installing reverse osmosis units at every water treatment plant in Plaquemines Parish. As of now, no reverse osmosis units are operational. To maintain low chloride levels, we are currently utilizing water barging and blending techniques. We have established contracts to ensure a continuous supply of barge water as long as necessary. Our strategy is to cease barge water delivery to each facility only after each reverse osmosis unit is fully operational. Proven effective and passes all required tests.
Water Barge Operations - Plaquemines Parish
As of October 17, 2023, the
US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District has barged 20.77 million gallons of water to the Pointe a la Hache and Port Sulphur Water Treatment Plants in Plaquemines Parish. Seen here are contractors unloading the water from upriver. The water from upriver is blended with water at the intake facilities to ensure the chloride level of drinking water remains below the EPA recommended maximum ppm.
Saltwater Timeline Update - 10/19/23
Read more at the press release
https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/.../Stage.../SaltwaterWedge/
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Drinking Water Advisories Lifted in Plaquemines Parish as of October 18th--
https://plaqueminesparish.com/DocumentCenter/View/2400/Drinking-Water-Advisories-Lifted-in-Affected-Areas-as-of-October-18
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Saltwater Timeline Update - 10/12/23
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District released today the latest Saltwater Wedge Timeline forecast of when water treatment facilities may be impacted by saltwater intrusion.
Read more at the press release here:
Saltwater Intrusion - Chloride Levels - 10/12/23
https://www.facebook.com/plaqueminesgovernment/posts/pfbid02FWopixGrbeQo1pXRgL1TZYRc5yZvbe5Uq6kn4fgG2aLuWWK1HXTwz1ndaRNZUPiZl
Daily we analyze chloride levels before and after water treatment. Examining chloride levels enables us to gauge the salt content in both the Mississippi River and our tap water. This testing is done at each water treatment facility within the parish. The following data represents the daily measurements.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that a High Sodium Water Advisory is issued if the chloride levels reach 250
mg/L (ppm). The EPA’s secondary maximum contaminant level (MCL for chlorides, has not been exceeded in any part of Plaquemines Parish since October 1st. We anticipate that chloride levels will remain below this limit for the duration of the saltwater crisis.
Contractors are currently in the process of installing reverse osmosis units at every water treatment plant in Plaquemines Parish. As of now, no reverse osmosis units are operational. To maintain low chloride levels, we are currently utilizing water barging and blending techniques. We have established contracts to ensure a continuous supply of barge water as long as necessary. Our strategy is to cease barge water delivery to each facility only after each reverse osmosis unit is fully operational. Proven effective and passes all required tests.
While chloride levels remain under 250 mg/L across the entire parish. Drinking Water Advisories will continue to be enforced in the Empire Bridge to Venice area on the west bank and the Phoenix to Bohemia area on the east bank. These advisories will persist until the reverse osmosis units in these regions are fully functional.
Water distribution locations for residents in the water advisory areas:
Buras Fire Station M-F 8 am to 5pm
Boothville-Venice Fire Station M-F 8am to 5pm
Davant Community Center M-F 8am to 5pm
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Saltwater Intrusion Update - Oct 11th
https://www.facebook.com/plaqueminesgovernment/posts/pfbid0YKHn67PpCC7m6TZK2L2UrqxDyMe8T3Nnzuu3EmtcuHNdBAqA2gWm5PKMuo9CrqZql
- All figures are mg/l (ppm)
- Finished chlorides below 250mg/l is acceptable per EPA standards.
Even
though chloride levels are below 250 mg/l throughout the entire parish, the Drinking Water Advisories will remain in place for the Empire Bridge to Venice area on the westbank and Phoenix to Bohemia area on the eastbank until the reverse osmosis units are fully operational in those areas.
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Saltwater Intrusion Update - Oct 10th
https://www.facebook.com/plaqueminesgovernment/posts/pfbid02CJAdCtWiVmmp2tWSB2ocMQRcrp9YVvcqA1oFccKHNjUacAAPknPPEGpibg4gA3YQl
- All figures are mg/l (ppm)
- Finished chlorides below 250mg/l is acceptable per EPA standards.
Even
though chloride levels are below 250 mg/l throughout the entire parish, the Drinking Water Advisories will remain in place for the Empire Bridge to Venice area on the westbank and Phoenix to Bohemia area on the eastbank until the reverse osmosis units are fully operational in those areas.
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Saltwater Intrusion Update - Oct 9th
https://www.facebook.com/plaqueminesgovernment/posts/pfbid02jtGuhcJkyvP4yCrcZF636UtTar3TyQQTfiuzA2R7kqTWmvhZE1hKke9MzTfjkoRol
- All figures are mg/l (ppm)
- Finished chlorides below 250mg/l is acceptable per EPA standards.
Even
though chloride levels are below 250 mg/l throughout the entire parish, the Drinking Water Advisories will remain in place for the Empire Bridge to Venice area on the westbank and Phoenix to Bohemia area on the eastbank until the reverse osmosis units are fully operational in those areas.
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Saltwater Intrusion Update - Oct 6th
https://www.facebook.com/plaqueminesgovernment/posts/pfbid0WFGPDCjziWxPBRoaHsce4fPGTYLjFuoRM4ryxYCa5md7YaTNkX16QgHKGcQAf68nl
- All figures are mg/l (ppm)
- Finished chlorides below 250mg/l is acceptable per EPA standards.
Even
though chloride levels are below 250 mg/l throughout the entire parish, the Drinking Water Advisories will remain in place for the Empire Bridge to Venice area on the westbank and Phoenix to Bohemia area on the eastbank until the reverse osmosis units are fully operational in those areas.
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Saltwater Intrusion Update - Oct 5th
https://www.facebook.com/plaqueminesgovernment/posts/pfbid02dQvBps5ryjcsqG9Lu6vP6AvZxQ97dVGtqre4DukpoAvYyKaUoZMbpN8UbVqjH8Xil
The
US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District (USACE) provided an updated timeline of when saltwater will potentially exceed the 250 mg/l chloride levels at water plant locations. This timeline is just an estimate and is subject to change. See below graphic.
Boothville Water Treatment Plant - Remains offline and being used as a booster station currently. Installation of the reverse osmosis unit is taking place.
Port
Sulphur Water Treatment Plant - Installation of the reverse osmosis unit is taking place. USACE continues to barge water to this facility. Water is still being pushed from Belle Chasse to the Port Sulphur Water Plant and blended with from barges. This water is then pushed to Venice.
Pointe a la Hache Water Treatment Plant - USACE is currently installing the reverse osmosis unit and water is being barged by USACE to this facility.
Belle Chasse Water Treatment Plant - A reservoir barge is being installed to accept water barge operations. Reverse osmosis units and equipment is starting to arrive at the facility. "Tie-in" work between Plaquemines Parish, Orleans and Jefferson parishes continues.
Dalcour Water Treatment Plant - USACE has located a reverse osmosis unit, and it is set to arrive next week. A reservoir barge is being installed to accept water barge operations.
Drinking water advisories remain in effect for the following areas: Phoenix to Bohemia on the eastbank; Empire Bridge to Venice on the westbank. Chloride levels in the impacted areas continue to decrease. All other areas of the parish are NOT impacted by the drinking water advisories and the water is safe to consume.
Water distribution continues at the Boothville Venice Fire Station, Buras Fire Station, and Percy M Griffin Community Center.
We continue to work closely with our regional, state, and federal partners during this event. For additional information please visit
emergency.la.gov/saltwater
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Saltwater Intrusion - Pointe a la Hache Water Treatment Plant (Phoenix to Bohemia)
https://www.facebook.com/plaqueminesgovernment/posts/pfbid07gP3843b1MtE5ZuMqv3Sd2yH9oRq2Jm9QKPqvWr25oPSxS4ZUt7Ca5sCdH8otzyAl
The water plant began receiving water from the
barges on Monday. The reverse osmosis unit that was procured by USACE should be operational this week.
The drinking water advisory is still in effect for this area (Phoenix to Bohemia). Water distribution is taking place at the Percy M Griffin Community Center in Davant.
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Saltwater Intrusion Update - Oct 3rd
https://www.facebook.com/plaqueminesgovernment/posts/pfbid02bDMoqgGtxu3oszYRN7GRsLsoJ7dgsR7za5qL3q5b8Ts8wPGdQEpQ2Dx7vL7i4vQKl
Water Distribution Locations:
Boothville Venice Fire Department - Venice
Buras Fire Department - Buras
Percy M Griffin Community Center - Davant
These locations are open Monday - Friday 8a to 5pm.
The drinking water advisories remain in place for the following areas: Empire Bridge to Venice on the westbank and Phoenix to Bohemia on the eastbank.
All other areas of the parish are NOT impacted by the drinking water advisories.
It is anticipated that once the reverse osmosis units are operational then the advisories will be lifted.
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On Saturday, Sept 30th the Port Sulphur Water Treatment Plant started receiving Reverse Osmosis equipment. The installation of this equipment will take several days to complete in order to be operational. The reverse osmosis units at Boothville & Pointe a la Hache are still being installed.
On Sunday, October 1st, President Hinkley met with Col. Jones from the
US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District and formally signed the
agreement between both agencies to allow the USACE to barge water to the Plaquemines Parish water plants. Reservoir barges are being placed at the following water plants for barging operations: Port Sulphur, Pointe a la Hache, Belle Chasse, and Dalcour. Both officials were on site Sunday afternoon for the arrival of the first barge of water to the Port Sulphur Water plant.
The drinking water advisories remain in place for the following areas: Phoenix to Bohemia on the eastbank and Empire Bridge to Venice on the westbank. All other areas of the parish are NOT impacted by the drinking water advisory. It is anticipated that once reverse osmosis units are operational then the advisories will be lifted.
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Reverse Osmosis unit & equipment have arrived at the Boothville Water Treatment Plant this afternoon. Installation will begin this weekend and operating within 3-5 days.
Dredging of the water intake was completed this afternoon.
Main Street between Cuevas Street & Avenue F by the Belle Chasse water plant is scheduled to be closed starting this weekend.
PPG &
Inframark will be using this area for placement of the reverse osmosis and micro filtration trailers to mitigate the salt water intrusion into the Belle Chasse Water Treatment Plant.
We
apologize any inconvenience this may cause.
Cuevas Street & Broad Street will be accessible to residents.
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Saltwater Intrusion Update - Sept 27
https://www.facebook.com/plaqueminesgovernment/posts/pfbid0vbTT35YVPSZxELwUFySJ32xDgUjV4PehCUrYqM9uwenKpx23Q3TQjbRQHPUMnBxnl
President Biden signed a federal emergency declaration for the saltwater intrusion event earlier today.
US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District (USACE) reports that the saltwater wedge is currently at Mississippi River Mile Marker 69. The timeline still remains the same for impacts to the Belle Chasse (10/13) and Dalcour (10/15) water treatment plants.
Drinking water advisories remain in effect for the Empire to Venice area on the westbank and Phoenix to Bohemia area on the eastbank. All other areas of Plaquemines Parish are NOT impacted.
Water distribution continues at the following locations for those living in the drinking water advisory areas:
• Buras Fire Station
• Boothville Venice Fire Station
• Percy M Griffin Community Center in Davant
The Port Sulphur Water Treatment Plant is blending water from the Belle Chasse plant and pushing water to Venice. Residents and businesses in the southern portion of the parish should have better water pressure and lower chlorides. This is made possible with the completion of the booster pump that was installed in Alliance and operating on August 18th and the emergency temporary work completed at the Port Sulphur Water Plant in August and approved to operated by the Louisiana Department of Health on Friday, September 22nd.
Reverse osmosis units have been procured for the Boothville, Port Sulphur, and Pointe a la Hache Water Treatment Plants and expected to arrive in the next several days. PPG & USACE have been working to make this happen since early July. Once onsite they will take a few days to install and then ready for operation. PPG and USACE are locating reverse osmosis units for Belle Chasse and Dalcour.
The dredging project at the Boothville Water plant intake began yesterday and should be completed by the end of the week.
The preparation and installation of the reservoir barges at the Port Sulphur, Pointe a la Hache, Belle Chasse, and Dalcour water plants has begun and expected to be completed at all facilities by the end of next week. As each plant is completed the USACE will then be able to barge water to each of these facilities.
Waterline "tie-in" projects are in progress with Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard Parishes.
We continue to work closely with our regional, state, and federal partners during this event. For additional information please visit
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2023
Contact: govpress@la.gov
Gov. Edwards Requests Federal Emergency Declaration for Saltwater Intrusion
BATON ROUGE, La. – Today, Governor John Bel Edwards submitted a request to President Joseph Biden for a Federal Emergency Declaration as a result of the recent sea water (saltwater) intrusion in the lower Mississippi River region.
The rate of fresh water flowing down the Mississippi River has been low due to extended drought conditions in Louisiana and across the Mississippi River Valley. As a result of these historic low flow conditions, an intrusion of saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico is making its way upriver. Plaquemines Parish has already been affected by the intrusion and other parishes are projected to be impacted over the next month, including St. Bernard Parish, Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish.
In some areas, the increased salinity from the saltwater intrusion is forecast to exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) maximum standard of 250 mg/L, impacting public water systems and introducing the risk of corrosion to water distribution systems, machinery, and appliances.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducted river surveys and learned that on September 20, 2023, the saltwater wedge overtopped an underwater sill at river mile marker 63.8 near Alliance, Louisiana. The sill is currently being upgraded to improve its ability to slow the saltwater intrusion. The underwater sill is a temporary protective measure constructed under USACE authority to mitigate intrusion.
Once approved, the Federal Emergency Declaration will provide federal assistance to reimburse ongoing response and temporary mitigation efforts as well as authorize assistance from other federal partners.
"I want to thank everyone at the state and local level who have been leading this fight, along with our partners at the Army Corps of Engineers," said Governor Edwards. "We have had discussions with FEMA about the unique challenges we face with this event. We are optimistic the President will approve our Federal Emergency Declaration, which will be crucial to help our communities along the lower Mississippi River."
Read Governor Edwards’ letter to President Biden visit the below link.
https://gov.louisiana.gov/assets/BidenLetterSaltwater.pdf
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US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District Sill Update - Sunday, Sept 24th
The USACE is reporting that as of 9:25am this morning the construction of the sill augmentation at Mississippi River Mile Marker 63.8. The sill will be raised an additional 25 feet on each side of the river and leaving a "notch" to allow marine traffic to still navigate. It is estimated to take 24 days to construct.
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Saltwater Intrusion Update - Sept 23rd
On Friday, September 22nd at 4pm the Louisiana Department of Health authorized PPG &
Inframark to operate the Port Sulphur Water Treatment Plant. This facility was damaged by Hurricane Ida in 2021. Having this facility online it will be able to produce an additional 2 million gallons of water per day to our system. Water is still being sent from Belle Chasse to be blend with water at this facility to lower chloride levels. The Port
Sulphur Water Plant will then provide this additional water from West Pointe a la Hache to Venice. Residents and businesses in this area should see better water pressure and lower chlorides.
The only areas in Plaquemines Parish under a drinking water advisory are from Empire Bridge to Venice on the westbank and Phoenix to Bohemia on the eastbank. All other areas are safe to drink. For additional information on the drinking water advisory please visit
plaqueminesparish.comThe
US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District provided an updated projected timeline of when saltwater will potentially exceed the 250 mg/l chloride levels. This timeline is just an estimate and is subject to change. See the below graphic.
The Louisiana Department of Agricultural & Forestry is working to provide a FAQ sheet on saltwater intrusion impacts to pets, livestock and LSU Ag Center with citrus & vegetable farmers.
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Saltwater Intrusion Update – Sept 21st
https://www.facebook.com/plaqueminesgovernment/posts/pfbid02M4Y4gRgoLiW8ZKDs5xD7wwbXC2DC6B2t4mjauqaK9Avw2JZFR3jqBsJgg26yET57l
These efforts involve numerous partners and are subject to ongoing changes.
Please be informed that water and ice are still readily available at the Buras and Boothville-Venice Fire stations. Plaquemines Parish administration remains dedicated to assisting those affected by saltwater intrusion.
We
are pleased to inform you that the Booster Pump installation in the Alliance area, which plays a vital role in facilitating water transportation from Belle Chasse to Venice, is nearing its final stages of completion. Most of the back-ordered parts have now arrived at the project site and are actively being installed. Daily efforts are dedicated to the ongoing progress of the project, with a completion of installation taking place in the next 8 to 12 days.
Progress at the Port Sulphur water treatment plant continues with temporary repairs. Testing of water at the site should start in the coming week. Although a specific completion date has not yet been established.
Challenges arising from low river levels have affected the intake pumps at the Boothville Water Plant, resulting in disruptions to the consistent water supply. Given the prevailing circumstances, the temporary suspension of the Reverse Osmosis unit implementation at the Boothville Water Plant remains in effect until the state of stability is reached. We appreciate your understanding during this period of adjustment and assure you that we will promptly update you on any further developments. Your patience is highly valued.
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Plaquemines Parish administration remains dedicated to assisting the Empire Bridge to Venice area by providing water and ice to residents affected by the salt water intrusion. Unfortunately, the installation of the Booster Pump in the Alliance area, which would have facilitated water transportation from Belle Chasse to Venice, has experienced delays due to manufacturing and parts shortages. The expected time of completion is now
the week of August 14th. However, repairs are progressing faster than anticipated at the Port Sulphur Water Treatment Plant (PSWTP) though a definite completion date is still pending.
The extremely low river levels have posed challenges for the intake pumps at the Boothville Water Plant, impacting the water supply. Sand buildup around the intake requires additional measures to ensure clear water flow. Consequently, the implementation of a Reverse Osmosis unit at the Boothville Water Plant has been temporarily suspended until stability is regained. The administration is actively engaging with Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in weekly meetings to devise long-term solutions for what may be an ongoing issue. Together, we are determined to find effective resolutions to this situation.
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Saltwater Intrusion Update-July 17
Water/ Ice Distribution
https://www.facebook.com/plaqueminesgovernment/posts/pfbid02dhjdLqg47NnbrUEwWDXU9jckRByjy3HnwU2T2STLnPaGD6VWtqLkqvWyhFDaLN7gl
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Plaquemines Parish Government is in the process of installing a booster pump in the Alliance area.
This will allow the ability to push water from the Belle Chasse Water Treatment Plant to Venice. This project is expected to be completed within the next three weeks.
PPG has a hired a contractor to restore electricity and the necessary electric panels to the Port Sulphur Water Treatment Plant, which once completed will allow this plant to produce enough potable water for the entire southern end of the parish, thus allowing the Parish to shut down the Boothville Water Treatment Plant. This project is expected to be completed within the next forty days.
In the event of a hurricane or other unforeseen event, the parish’s fail-safe plan is to procure two reverse osmosis machines & additional equipment for the Boothville Water Treatment Plant and the Pointe a la Hache Water Treatment Plant with the help of the State and USACE. The Parish is working with GOHSEP and USACE to procure these machines which could take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to be delivered and operational.
To date the Parish and the State have delivered over 300,000 bottles of water and 16,000 pounds of ice. We would like to also thank Venture Global and Zachry Group for additional donations of bottled water. These deliveries will continue to be made multiple days per week at Buras & Boothville – Venice Fire Stations. These deliveries will continue and may be adjusted depending on the need and success of our efforts.
Following the weekly conference call with our State and Federal partners, Col. Jones provided President Hinkley a tour of the Weeks Marine Dredge Project which is located at River Mile Marker 63.8 in Naomi. The Corps of Engineers contracted
Weeks Marine, Inc. to construct the underwater sill. Weeks Marine deployed equipment to the scene several days ago and began dredging and installing the sill on Wednesday, July 12th. They anticipate to have this job completed within the next 10-12 days. The building of the sill will protect the water intakes upriver, doing this will allow PPG &
Inframark the ability to provide potable drinking water from Belle Chasse to Venice.
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WWL interview about the Saltwater Intrusion- July 10
President Keith Hinkley recently had an interview on 4WWL to shed light on the critical issue of the saltwater intrusion in Plaquemines Parish.
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Saltwater Intrusion Update- July 6
https://www.facebook.com/plaqueminesgovernment/posts/pfbid0wauTJoHrGXHfGbVaXXpxznAzo8XTqNeKK96gw26Mha2V6v4dzPuG15ymokjXtgu9l
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