Saltwater threat to Louisiana drinking water to grow across US, experts warn

Pipes lie across the Mississippi River as the US Army Corp of Engineers moves silt on to an underwater sill to help slow the flow of saltwater intrusion. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The threat to drinking water from the kind of saltwater intrusion currently creeping up the drought-hit Mississippi River towards New Orleans will increasingly be faced by coastal cities around the US, experts warn.

Louisianans have been preparing for a potential crisis because of seawater from the Gulf of Mexico penetrating the low-lying Mississippi. The mayor of New Orleans declared a state of emergency last month amid concerns about the potential health risks to the city’s drinking water, which would leave residents reliant on bottled water for cooking and cleaning.