Don't panic. It turns out the thing we kept saying wouldn't be a problem is a bigger problem than we thought. But it's okay. We're just taking extreme emergency measures around you as you go about your day.
Water barges will be insufficient to deal with salt intrusion at New Orleans' Carrolton plant and for the east bank of Jefferson Parish and construction of a pipeline to deliver water from further upstream is being looked at, officials said Wednesday.
Cost estimates for such an effort are currently between $100 million and $250 million and federal funding is being sought, New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board officials told a City Council committee meeting.
Article doesn't say a whole lot about logistics. But they do make it sound like the "temporary" pipeline can be built in the short time between now and when the salt water gets here to be of use. Which is sort of a surprise given the usual speed at which infrastructure happens around here.
Anyway they also say that the pipeline can, in the future, become a "permanent solution" to salt water intrusion. This implies what everyone already knows; that this is likely to become a regular problem as the effects of climate change progress. It causes one to wonder how long the pipeline plan has been on the shelf. More to the point, why did they wait until the last minute to deploy a known solution to a known problem?
Update: Oh well maybe it won't be built in time after all.
Contractors are offering assurances that the work could be completed despite the short timeframe, but officials are preparing for the possibility of making bottled water available if there is a gap. The city is also looking at water conservation methods, Arnold said.
That is very exciting! Also that says once it's here the salt water will probably be around for 3 months or so. As usual, be ready to hunker down.
Upperdate: Ah and we have visual confirmation that operation pipeline is already underway
Confirmed: temporary @swbneworleans water intake station for NOLA and JP being constructed on S&WB-owned land at IMTT playground on Anthony St. in St. Rose. Implying the Corps believes the salt wedge won't make it there. https://t.co/yw65r7r2iy
— Matt McBride (@Matthew67052126) September 27, 2023
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