Watershed Manager Offers Winter Salt Application Tips

(Posted Jan. 24, 2023) Road salt is known to have a damaging effect on our local aquatic ecosystems and infrastructure such as metal pipes or concrete when it runs off roads following a melt or rain event. However, road salt is also an incredibly important part of the winter safety equation, as it helps to mitigate the risk of slipping for pedestrians and vehicles.

When planning for icy conditions with your neighbors or your winter contractor, everyone must understand the risks of over-application and under-application of deicing products. Below are a few ways to maintain winter safety and reduce the risk that ice poses in your community while simultaneously helping to protect our natural and built environments.

*       Prepare for the season

• Make sure everyone is on the same page about differing products, tools, and techniques that are available to reduce salt use. If contractors are open to learning about Best Management Practices, share the 2022 Salt Management Contractor Training with them.

• Ensure that you, or your contractor, have the necessary equipment to deal with your neighborhood; this could mean a handful of shovels and ice scrapers or a truck-mounted plow and well-calibrated salt spreader.

• Various products have different impacts on concrete and asphalt, as well as different effective temperature ranges. Be sure that you or your contractor are using the correct product for the conditions.

*       Prepare for the storm

• Know what the weather has in store before applying pre-treatments. A brine solution is the best kind of pre-treatment, as rock salt has a substantial risk of blowing away during a storm.

• Make sure enough deicing products, equipment fuel, or charged batteries are on hand for the duration of the storm.

*       During the storm

• Always remove snow before applying deicers. Using salt to “burn off” snow will just result in the deicer running off melted snow before having a chance to melt the ice below.

*       After the storm

• Evaluate the impact of the deicing program — was it successful?

• Work with neighbors or your contractor to sweep up excess salt once the weather clears to be reused.

Specific questions about the impacts of the over-application of road salt can be directed to Reston Association’s Watershed Manager Ben Rhoades at watershed@reston.org.