Dangerously organic!

Drinking Water in New Orleans

I have a problem where I know too much...

I am going to New Orleans for a few days (leaving this afternoon). I am an environmental engineer that has worked in water/wastewater in the past, and I know the drinking water in NO is not all that... good . But many people survive just fine on it. I don't like to drink water out of plastic bottles, if I can help it at all (I am trying to eliminate as much plastic as I can from my life) so I am taking some water with me, in jugs, and my stainless steel water bottle.

Any other suggestions? Am I being overly cautious? I am post cancer, so I do tend to be more careful about some things.

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Alley on June 26, 2008 at 7:59pm

I Live in New Orleans. I have always lived off the tap water here. There has not been a problem. It was a little bad right after the storm but has been fixed since.

Alley

Permalink Reply by Ron Chandler on June 26, 2008 at 9:27pm

Hello Mary:
My work in New Orleans and south Louisiana during the late-80s through mid-90s was in surface water quality and hydrology; so my comments below are transfers of from comments made by colleagues at the time, as well as, to a lesser extent from literature (popular press and technical literature). By the way, I saw another Zoobird members comments, and mine are not intended to negate their experience but to share other information.
The lower Mississippi River drainage basin is know infamously as 'Cancer Alley'. The per capita incidence of organ cancers in this area are the highest in the world. Note: there is some indication that when/if data are acquired from China that several of their industrial areas will exceed the lower Miss. River.
Most of these cancers are believed to be caused by contaminants in surface and groundwaters which orginate from the petrochemical facilities located throughout the drainage basin. The potable water treatment systems in the Louisiana - and in most municipalities for that matter - do not treat for many of the contaminants know to be released by these industries and known to be carcinogens, mutagens and teratogens. In many cases, "trace amounts" and concentrations at or below "detectable limits" can be all that is necessary to cause harmful affects.
When I travel/work in that area I bring my own water and buy only deionized (or distilled) water for drinking.
Have safe travels,
Ron

Permalink Reply by mualpha on July 2, 2008 at 6:47am

Thank you for the advice from both sides of the table. I followed a little of both, drinking the tap water provided in restaurants and carrying my own water from a jug as I walked around. I also took advantage of other opportunities for refreshment while there...

It was a fun trip, and it was great to see my old friend Nola doing pretty well after going through such hard times.

RSS