NEW ORLEANS — The saltwater coming up the river is causing people to take action to protect their health and livelihoods.
And that has plumbers working overtime while others are opting for the do-it-yourself filtration systems.
It’s busy at the Torres Water Company in Jefferson.
“The phone literally is exploding. We are getting over 100 calls a day,” said owner Julio Torres.
Restaurants, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, and the like, want reverse osmosis water filtration systems to get rid of possible saltwater creeping up the river, and so do an increasing number of homeowners.
“We just wanted to make sure we had the purest water for us and our children, and then it just compounded into we’re bathing in water, we’re using water to clean our clothes, to clean our dishes, and we want everything to be clean and safe from any type of chemicals,” said Glenn Penton of Metairie.
“I definitely think it's coming up. There's not enough rain in the forecast to have enough water to force it down,” predicted Torres.
He says his units just under your kitchen sink for drinking water can run $1,500. Whole house systems cost closer to $6,000.
But others are opting for budget-friendly units, from online, or big box-type home improvement stores, to get smaller units for under the kitchen faucet or ones that sit on the counter to make fresh drinking and cooking water.
“There's is a limitation on those systems, as well as ours, when it gets to over 1,000 parts per million, then you need a booster pump to force the water against the membrane,” Torres explained.
Of course, those kitchen ones won't protect your metal pipes, appliances, hot water heaters, and tankless heaters like whole house systems will.
Torres, who is also a pharmacist, says there is another advantage to having a whole house system. He says a study a while back showed you absorb more cancer-causing agents when you shower for 15 minutes compared to drinking a half gallon of tap water.
“Also, we make the water alkaline. That's a big deal. Today, alkaline water can help boost your immune system to fight disease, including cancer.”
But remember, federal and local agencies will intervene to lower salt concentrations. Still, it is unknown just how much.
Salt in the Gulf of Mexico is at 35,000 parts per million, and in brackish water, like the Lake Pontchartrain, it is at 15,000 PPM.
Torres says you can taste salt at only 250 parts per million.
Text WATER to 504-529-4444 for the latest updates on the saltwater intrusion emergency.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.