Speakers to Share Expertise During Wisconsin Salt Awareness Week

MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – The salt we apply to roads and sidewalks ends up in our freshwater. Salt prematurely ages roads and bridges and degrades freshwater lakes and streams. Salt can be an effective deicer, but more isn’t always better. The Street Division staff attended the Salt Wise salt reduction training program in 2022 and is working this winter to implement the following innovative salting practices: calibrating equipment, operator training, and the incorporation of salt brine to reduce the over-application of salt.

Like Marshfield, dozens of Wisconsin municipalities strive to improve winter maintenance programs and slow the salting of our lakes, streams, and drinking water. Many citizens, however, need to be made aware of the issue. For this reason, the Wisconsin Salt Wise Partnership, a coalition of organizations across the state working together to reduce salt pollution in our lakes, streams, and drinking water, is hosting “Wisconsin Salt Awareness Week” from Monday, January 23 to Friday, January 27, 2023.

Wisconsin Salt Awareness Week aims to educate citizens on the issue of salt pollution: how salt impacts freshwater ecosystems, the role of water softening, ideas for teaching children about salt pollution, and other ways to get involved. Speakers will stream live on YouTube from  12:30 – 1 PM Monday through Friday to share their knowledge and field questions.

Speakers include Sujay Kaushal (University of Maryland), Charlie Paradis (University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee), Allison Couture (UW Health), Shannon Haydin (Wisconsin DNR), and Allison Madison (WI Salt Wise). To view the discussion, check out the WI Salt Wise YouTube channel on Monday, January 23, or register at www.wisaltwise.com.

The Impacts Of Too Much Salt

While salt keeps Wisconsin roads safe during winter, using more salt than needed comes at a price. In Wisconsin and much of the U.S., chlorides from salt are infiltrating lakes, streams and groundwater. According to Wisconsin Salt Wise, one teaspoon of salt is all it takes to make five gallons of water toxic for freshwater organisms.

The DNR measures chloride levels in Wisconsin rivers over time, monitoring cumulative chloride loading results at 26 of the state’s largest river systems. Recent studies have shown a steep increase in chloride loads. In the early 2000s, the DNR measured about 600,000 tons of chlorides annually. By 2018, that number increased to nearly 800,000 tons per year. Fifty lakes and one stream in Wisconsin have been designated as impaired by high salt concentrations.

These increased chloride loads are partly due to road salting, but chlorides also enter Wisconsin waters because of water softeners and fertilizers. Find out if your softener is salt-wise with this diagnostic tool.

Increased chloride levels have significant impacts on our daily lives, including environmental and economic effects. Nationwide, winter salt causes $5 billion in damage to infrastructure each year, causing corrosion of bridges, roads and other infrastructure. Road salt can also impact pets by causing irritated paws or other health concerns if ingested.

Salt Tips For Wisconsin Residents

Reducing salt use is key to decreasing chloride loads. Follow these steps to right-size your salt use:

• Shovel: Clear walkways and other areas before the snow turns to ice. The more snow removed manually, the less salt you will need and the more effective it will be.
• Scatter: When using salt, scatter it so that there is space between the grains. A 12-ounce coffee mug of salt is enough to treat an entire 20-foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares. If you see oversalting, follow these simple steps to help educate others about salt.
• Switch: Salt won’t work when pavement temperatures drop below 15 degrees. Switch to sand for traction or a different ice melter that works at lower temperatures.

Statewide Reduction Efforts

The DNR works to reduce chlorides at the source through permitting programs for municipalities and industries. These measures include tuning up or replacing water softeners, identifying significant chloride contributors and finding reductions, process efficiencies or improvements and instituting sewer use ordinances.

Additionally, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation works with Wisconsin counties to reduce road salt application using brine and pre-wetting road surfaces, both of which significantly reduce salt use.

For more information on the DNR’s efforts to monitor chlorides and reduce their effects, visit the DNR’s Salt and Storm Water website here.

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