Rock Salt Could Enter Philadelphia Drinking Water Supply As Snow Melts Across The Region

CBS Philadelphia

February 13, 2026

As the piles of snow and ice covering the Philadelphia region begin to melt, some of the rock salt used for de-icing can end up in the drinking water supply, and that can be a concern for people on salt-restricted diets.

"Salt in the waterways has been doubling about every 20 years," John Jackson, a senior scientist at Stroud Water Research Center, an independent nonprofit in Chester County, said.

Jackson says rock salt in the snow melts into the main sources of local drinking water, including the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers.

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