Don’t Use Too Much Road Salt This Winter, NJ Experts Say (Here’s Why)

NEW JERSEY — With New Jersey’s first winter snowstorm predicted to arrive this weekend, many property managers and homeowners have been stocking up on salt to de-ice roads, driveways and sidewalks. But using too much salt can leave an ugly impact on drinking water, aquatic life and the environment, some experts say.

“Road salt’s journey doesn’t end when you sprinkle it on your driveway or sidewalk – it’s only just begun,” said Laura Norkute, Director of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance at New Jersey American Water.

“Eventually, that salty, melted snow runs off pavements and makes its way to our local waterways,” Norkute explained. “We can often see levels of sodium chloride content increase in source water following a winter weather event due to excessive salt use, and it can make source water more difficult and expensive to treat.”

It’s also highly corrosive, which puts an extra strain on infrastructure and treatment equipment, Norkute added.

Due to this corrosive property, road salt has also been cited as a possible factor in other infrastructure issues, such as exploding manholes. Read More: Manhole Explosions in New Jersey: Dangerous and Frequent

“It doesn’t seem like something that would have such a significant environmental impact, but when you multiply it by the millions of roadways, households and businesses across our state, winter salt usage really adds up,” Norkute said.

Using too much road salt can also have a lasting impact on local wildlife – long after winter has come and gone, experts say.

“Increased salt levels can negatively impact the growth and reproduction of aquatic life in our local watersheds while allowing salt-tolerant species – such as mosquitoes and algae – to thrive,” said Erin Stretz, assistant director of science at The Watershed Institute and coordinator of the NJ Watershed Watch Network

“It can also kill dormant grass or other plants along roadways, driveways and sidewalks,” Stretz pointed out.

Other experts have warned about the potential dangers of road salt and other ice-melting supplies for pets like dogs and cats. According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center:

“Ice melts are commonly made of different kinds of salt. Sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride are all common ingredients. While pets don’t typically ingest ice melts on purpose, your pet may become exposed if they lick their feet after walking through a recently treated area, or by eating snow that may have ice melts in it.

SAFETY TIPS

New Jersey American Water provides the following tips to help reduce the drinking water and environmental impacts when using winter salt:

• Only use as much salt as needed to treat a given area. A 12-oz coffee mug is about a pound of salt and enough to treat one 20-foot driveway.
• Spread salt over the area leaving about three inches of space between the granules.
• Sweep up any extra salt left over on dry pavement so that it does not wash away.
• Shovel snow from driveways and sidewalks before it turns to ice. This reduces the need for de-icing.
• Consider using a different kind of salt. Calcium magnesium acetate and magnesium chloride are generally better alternatives to sodium chloride. To find a list of deicers that meet the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice Standard, visit www.epa.gov.
• For businesses that contract snow-clearing services, discuss agreements to pay by the area cleared instead of the amount of salt used.

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