Significant adjustment in saltwater wedge timeline delays some impacts by nearly a month, if at all
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Officials on Thursday (Oct. 5) provided a significant update to the timeline of the saltwater wedge’s impacts on drinking water supplies along the Mississippi River.
In a press conference held on Thursday (Oct. 5), the Army Corps of Engineers unveiled a revised schedule.
According to the latest information, the arrival of the saltwater wedge’s toe in Algiers and Gretna has been notably delayed, with new projected dates of Nov. 23 and Nov. 26, respectively.
The revised timeline also anticipates that surface water chloride levels will remain within the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recommended limit of 250 parts per million (ppm) at the East Jefferson, Carrollton, and West Jefferson water intakes.
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Officials said the saltwater wedge’s toe is anticipated to halt its progress between river miles 112 and 113, north of the Westwego intake.
However, the saltwater wedge must reach river mile 114.1 to exceed the 250 ppm threshold for surface water at East Jefferson.
| Water Intake | Original Forecast Date | New Forecast Date | Revised Impact Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Chasse (RM 75.5) | Oct. 13 | Oct. 13 | No Change in Impact |
| Dalcour (RM 80.9) | Oct. 15 | Oct. 17 | Delayed Impact by 2 Days |
| St. Bernard (RM 88.0) | Oct. 19 | Oct. 28 | Delayed Impact by 9 Days |
| NO Algiers (RM 95.7) | Oct. 22 | Nov. 23 | Delayed Impact by 32 Days |
| Gretna (RM 96.7) | Oct. 24 | Nov. 26 | Delayed Impact by 33 Days |
| West Jeff (RM 99.1) | Oct. 25 | Chloride levels not expected to exceed 250ppm | |
| NO Carrollton (RM 104.7) | Oct. 28 | Chloride levels not expected to exceed 250ppm | |
| East Jeff (RM 105.4) | Oct. 29 | Chloride levels not expected to exceed 250ppm |
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