Winter Salt Week

Madison, Wis. (Civic Media) – Winter Salt Week happens January 27th through the 31st. Allison Madison is the Program Manager with Wisconsin Salt Wise. She explains the goals surrounding the events taking place the last week of January. “It’s a week where people from across the country raise awareness around both the problems of salt pollution in our lakes, streams, and drinking water as well as a number of the salt reduction solutions that are out there.”

Madison said part of the education during salt week is helping those who deal with our roads understand the best ways to utilize salt. “Municipalities not over relying on salt, but first really tackling snow and ice with mechanical tools, so getting out there and plowing as much as possible so that there’s a lot less material behind to potentially salt.”

Wisconsin is Unique

Wisconsin has a unique setup for winter maintenance. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation doesn’t do any winter road maintenance. WisDOT contracts out with counties to maintain state or interstate roads that go through the county. They work to support the staff in counties and have calibration standards for the amount of salt applied per lane mile. Madison said, “There’s been a big push at the state level to see counties invest more in brine equipment. So, the state has supported the purchase of some really big brine makers so that counties can take that rock salt, mix it in with water, bring it up to that 23.3% solution that they need to apply the salt brine on the roads.” The application process is known as anti-icing. Madison said anti-icing works like cooking spray. It prevents the bond between the snow and the pavement, making it easier to remove.   

Misconceptions about Salt Brine

Madison said there are misconceptions out there that salt brine is more corrosive than rock salt, but she said that’s not necessarily the case. Using salt brine on the roads leads to less corrosive materials being used overall. Because the liquid salt is in diluted form, municipalities are able to reduce the overall amount of salt they use in a season. “If you drop your salt use, and we know salt is corrosive, using less salt means there’s less total opportunity for corrosion.”

Additives can make brine more corrosive

There are additives municipalities can mix into the salt brine that make it either less or more corrosive. Madison said adding sugar to the mix reduces the corrosivity and also slows down the re-freeze on roadways. This gives the plows more time to come back and scrape off the snow and ice. The other additives they see are calcium chloride or magnesium chloride added to brine. This is used when temperatures are below 15 degrees fahrenheit. Regular rock salt works so slowly at that temperature, the added chloride speeds up the process, but is also more corrosive. 

How can I reduce salt use?

The best way to clear sidewalks and driveways is to get out there immediately after a snowfall and remove the material. “Try and get out there as early as possible with a shovel, or a snowblower, sometimes even go out with a broom if it’s a light snow and just try and remove that snow quickly and early.” Madison said it’s important to remove the snow before someone walks over it and compacts it where it bonds to the pavement. If there’s a little bit of sun out, that will help to melt the rest of the material. She said, instead of adding salt, you can use abrasive material to help on icy patches. Sand or light gravel can help give traction. Some people even use ash from their fireplace. However, you do need to think about the possibility of tracking these materials into your house, the same as you would salt. If you do need to use salt, use it sparingly. One twelve ounce coffee mug is enough for ten sidewalk squares.

Wisconsin Salt Wise Events

There are several livestreams the week of January 27-31 on the Wisconsin Salt Wise YouTube channel. There are resources available on the Winter Salt Week website. You can also learn more at Wisconsin Salt Wise.