Winter Salt Smart Tips From Fairfax

Press release from the City of Fairfax:

01/12/2021 11:11 AM

The obvious benefits of applying deicing salt during winter include safer roads and walkways, which allow businesses and schools to remain open (in a non-pandemic year) and delivery of critical services. But using winter salt causes problems you should be aware of. Being “winter salt smart” can save you money and protect the environment from unintended harm, without reducing safety.

Salt that washes into storm drains eventually ends up in freshwater sources – our drinking water. This could cause health problems for people on salt-restricted diets. The taste of salty water is generally unappealing, and building facilities to remove salt is expensive.

Salt is corrosive, which means concrete and steel on public and private property is vulnerable, including critical infrastructure such as bridges, pipes, buildings, and vehicles. Businesses, households, and governments are financially impacted when maintaining and replacing infrastructure and vehicles.

Winter salt can be harmful to aquatic life in lakes and streams. Freshwater fish and other aquatic life are not adapted to salty water.

There are currently no regulations for salt application; however, the City of Fairfax is a stakeholder in the development of the regional Salt Management Strategy (SaMS), a partnership with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and state and local entities. The development of the SaMS Toolkit is nearly complete, and a draft document should be available for public review and comment in early 2021.

The city pre-treats roadways with salt brine, which is an effective method of reducing salt usage over the course of a snow event. Pre-treatment allows roadways to resist snow accumulations longer, and plows can more easily clear accumulated snow. City snow removal crews begin plowing snow once accumulation reaches the point that salt is no longer effective.

Anyone who applies deicer can strive to be more “winter salt smart.” This includes contractors who maintain commercial parking lots, municipalities responsible for roads, and residents who treat driveways and sidewalks. Residents should consider “salternatives,” such as kitty litter, sand, and other abrasive material. Other best practices for reducing salt usage include:

• Limit the need for chemical deicers by shoveling snow from driveways and sidewalks early and often.
• Apply deicers according to manufacturers’ instructions - after snowfall has stopped and snow has been shoveled.
• Sweep up excess deicer to prevent it from washing into storm drains, which all flow directly to the nearest stream. Save excess deicer to reuse for future snows.

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.