Where Does My Water Come From?
- Citizen's Guide
- Chapter 3: Your Water
- 3.2 Drinking Water
- Where Does My Water Come From?
The water your drink either comes from a source underground(groundwater) such as an aquifer or a source on the surface(surface water) such as a river or a lake. Most people who live in populated areas get their drinking water from a public water system, whether that water originates from ground or surface water. This water is monitored and tested routinely, and the water company must notify you if any contaminants are found that may cause illness or other problems. See the Community Water Systems section for help finding more information about your water system.
However, if you receive your water from a private well, you are responsible for making sure your water is safe to drink. That means monitoring and testing as well as treatment of your water is up to you.
Groundwater, water that occurs below the surface of Earth, where it occupies all or part of the void spaces in soils or geologic strata. It is also called subsurface water to distinguish it from surface water, which is found in large bodies like the oceans or lakes or which flows overland in streams. Both surface and subsurface water are related through the hydrologic cycle (the continuous circulation of water in the Earth-atmosphere system). https://www.britannica.com/science/groundwater
Roughly 61% of drinking water in Louisiana is provided by groundwater aquifers.
Ground Water Aquifers in Louisiana
- Chicot Aquifer
- Southern Hills Aquifer
- Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer
- Sparta Aquifer
- Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer
- Evangeline Aquifer
- Jasper Aquifer
- Catahoula Aquifer
Communities that do not depend on groundwater aquifers utilize surface water for their drinking water. Most municipalities south of Baton Rouge utilize surface water as their drinking water source, including the city of New Orleans which uses the Mississippi River.
Surface Waters Sources of Drinking Water in Louisiana
- Mississippi River
- Atchafalaya River
- Bayou Lafourche
- Bayou Teche
- Caddo Lake
- Reservoirs
It is important to understand that your drinking water comes from these natural sources and everything that goes into either the surface water or groundwater source can contaminate your water. These contaminants needs to be treated or filtered out before it is safe for you to drink.
For example, waste water(sewage) treatment plant outfalls, chemical plant discharges, run-off from roads and agricultural fields from over 32 states all make their way into the Mississippi river. At the bottom of this drainage, the Mississippi River is the sole source of drinking water for over a million people in south Louisiana, including the city of New Orleans.
It is important to do everything we can to reduce the contaminants that enter our drinking water sources as well as make sure the water is treated appropriately before it is used for drinking. LEAN has a special project focused solely on improving the water quality of the Mississippi River, check out the Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper project page.
LEAN is also working to ensure the Souther Hills Aquifer system that supplies fresh drinking water to the Greater Baton Rouge area, is managed sustainably. Check out the video and our campaign page here: saveourwaterbr.com