Be Salt Smart for Water Quality

Did you know that many freshwater lakes and rivers across the country are contaminated with chloride? This chemical comes in large part from the salt and deicers we use to keep ice off our roads in winter, but once it is washed into our waterways via rainfall and snowmelt it is virtually impossible to remove.

Many public works agencies provide their crews with special training and tools to minimize this type of pollution and you can do your part at home or work by following the simple tips below.

Want to monitor a local waterway for chloride impacts? Receive a free test kit when you take the Salt Watch Pledge.  We also have a limited number of kits at our office (email Brooke for details).

NEW!  If you are not responsible for snow management at your home or business, you can still help! Talk to your snow removal service provider or property management company about current practices and share this information!

• Template that can be used to reach out to contractors (Word document)
• Template that can be used to reach out to property managers (Word document)

A lot of the great information on this page comes from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, Wisconsin Salt WIse, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.  Links for further reading can be found at the bottom of the page.

If you must apply salt or deicer, do it after the storm is finished. Clear off any loose and/or compacted snow first. Apply the product on ice only; do not apply it on dry pavement.

Temperatures often drop after a snowstorm, so double-check the label on your salt or deicer product to make sure it will work before you apply it. Rock salt doesn’t work below 15°F.

And remember: If it’s a warm day and the sidewalk is wet, don’t use any deicers. The sun is already doing the job for you, and throwing salt onto the ice isn’t going to hurry the process; it’s just going to send deicer down the stormdrains.

More salt does not equal faster melting — just more pollution and wasted money.

Shoot for a 3-inch spread between salt granules. For $10–$20, a hand spreader can make the job easier and more accurate. To be more exact, try to apply no more than 1 pound per 250 square feet of pavement. (Tip: A regular-size coffee mug typically holds about 1 pound of salt.)

Use sand when it’s too cold for salt to work. Sprinkle just enough to provide traction on walkways. Sweep up any excess after the ice melts and dispose of in the trash or reuse so that it doesn’t get carried into stormdrains. Remember, sand pollutes too.

Don’t bother mixing sand and salt together. They serve two completely different purposes. Sand is useless in wet, melting snow and slush.

"Hard" water is full of dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium, which can contribute to unpleasant effects such as: dingy clothes, visible deposits on glassware and cooking utensils, scale buildup in pipes and on fixtures, and more.

When these minerals are removed, the water becomes "softened" and can extend the life and improve the efficiency of water heaters, dishwashers, and other appliances, potentially saving water, energy, and detergent use.  It’s really not surprising that water softeners are a popular household item.

In order to soften the water, special resin beads are used to draw these minerals out of the water like a magnet.  Over time, these beads fill up and need to be recharged, which is commonly accomplished with salt.

A major drawback of salt-based ion-exchange water softeners is the chloride they produce and discharge into septic or sewage systems. Chloride from salt can seep into and pollute groundwater from on-site septic systems. Chloride also enters the environment via wastewater treatment facilities. Because facilities aren’t designed to remove it, chloride ends up in rivers, lakes and streams.