The swampy state of Louisiana finds itself surprisingly facing a groundwater shortage. As a result of unregulated use by companies and agriculture, groundwater levels are plummeting in the state. The origin of these struggles lies in an ancient law which handed dominion of groundwater to the landowners living above it. Due to this, after years of overuse, wells are threatened with the possibility of becoming contaminated with salt. Beyond the unregulated water use in agricultural settings are the industries that benefit from the lack of regulations. And these industries prefer to keep it that way.
Recent investigations have found State officials throughout Louisiana are linked with companies that benefit from the lack of water regulations. Over the past 70 years, a dozen reports have urged the state to create a water management plan. None of these reports have resulted in change, officials preferring to stay with the precedent. The lack of action on the state level has forced local communities to find their own solutions. One town of West Monroe required $20 million in federal grants to expand a sewage plant. Only after doing so could they access their aquifer and protect themselves from a shortage. Mark Davis, the director of Tulane’s Center for Environmental Law tells NPR that the state is in serious danger of losing its water. Davis says without regulation on the use of water within the state, “you can expect someone to take it from you”.
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