"Louisiana's Drinking Water at Risk: Saltwater Intrusion Crisis Looms"

New Orleans is facing a drinking water crisis as saltwater intrusion from the Gulf of Mexico threatens the city's water supply due to the shrinking Mississippi River. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards plans to declare a state of emergency, and the US Army Corps of Engineers is transporting freshwater to create a safe mix. Some parts of Louisiana are already under a boil water advisory, and the crisis is expected to reach New Orleans by late October. The Mississippi River is hitting record lows, increasing the chance of saltwater moving upstream. The Army Corps of Engineers is constructing an underwater levee to prevent contamination, and local governments are distributing bottled water.