Use Salt Wisely When Thawing Out this Winter

Posted on December 16, 2009 | Filed Under: Clean Water , Stormwater & Sewage

Gary Belan
Director, Clean Water Program

With the holidays quickly approaching and winter settling in, water quality may not be on the top of everybody’s mind. But with the abrupt arrival of heavy snow and ice in many parts of the country, we should all be thinking about the impacts of salting on our water.
Salt use is often necessary for safety purposes, but once snow and ice melts, it carries all that extra salt into our storm drains and can cause a significant negative impact on water quality and the health of ecosystems. This is something I’ve always wondered about, and today I received an e-mail from my colleagues at the Biodiversity Project with tips on how you can reduce your salt impact on rivers, without minimizing safety. I hope these are useful and provide for a safe and less salty holiday!

• If you use rock salt or other common de-icers, be sure to follow the instructions and don’t use too much. Adding more than the recommended amount does not make the snow melt any faster.
• The greenest way to deal with ice is to physically remove as much snow as possible. De-icers are not formulated to melt through ice build-up or compacted snow. The less ice there is, the less salt you will need to use.
• Apply any ice-melting products at the beginning of a snow or ice storm. This prevents ice from bonding to the pavement and will ensure that less salt is needed.
• Once the temperature dips below 15° F, salt is unable to penetrate the ice to start the dissolving process. When the air is bitter cold, regular playground sand can be used to increase traction. However, be sure to clean the sand up properly during thaws since it can easily clog drains and sewers.
• There are many eco-friendlier alternatives to salt available at hardware stores, but some are greener than others. Most include a combination of salt combined with other common materials. A de-icer that includes salt mixed with calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) or potassium acetate (KA) is better than salt by itself.
  

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