Metairie
Metairie, LA water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
Metairie is a mid-sized city and the 5th-largest in Louisiana, home to roughly 138,481 residents. Metairie's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve Louisiana: Mississippi River, Sparta aquifer, and Chicot aquifer.
As elsewhere in Louisiana, the central challenge is saltwater intrusion. Mississippi River saltwater intrusion during low-flow periods has threatened New Orleans-area drinking water.
Louisiana reuses an estimated 4% of its treated wastewater and maintains minimal reuse programs; Metairie tracks severe to extreme drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the Louisiana profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Metairie below.
At a glance
- Population ~138,481 (5th-largest in Louisiana)
- Primary sources: Mississippi River, Sparta aquifer, and Chicot aquifer
- Drought: severe to extreme conditions
- State reuse rate: ~4% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Louisiana in severe+ drought (Extreme (D3) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Metairie?
Metairie is served by community water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Statewide, 63.1% of Louisiana's systems have a recent health-based violation. Check your provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report for local results.
Where does Metairie get its water?
Metairie draws from the same regional sources that serve Louisiana: Mississippi River, Sparta aquifer, Chicot aquifer.
Related water issues
Saltwater Intrusion
As coastal aquifers are over-pumped and seas rise, saltwater pushes inland and contaminates freshwater supplies for cities from Florida to California.
ExploreGroundwater Depletion
Aquifers from the Central Valley to the Ogallala are being pumped faster than they recharge, causing land subsidence and threatening long-term supply.
ExploreAging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
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