Winter Salt Smart

Salt is great on our food. Salt is not great in our drinking water. 

Winter salt (sodium chloride) on our roads, sidewalks, and parking lots is important for public safety during a winter storm. However, winter salt runs off these surfaces into our local waterways when the snow melts or when it rains.

Too much winter salt:

• Pollutes drinking water
• Harms aquatic life
• Damages infrastructure

Too much winter salt can also damage plants along roads and sidewalks, injure pet paws, and be harmful to wildlife.

There are 6 million people that rely on the Potomac River and its tributaries for their drinking water. Saltier water not only tastes bad but is bad for public health.

Chloride concentrations in the Potomac River have risen substantially in recent decades. The rise is especially noticeable in winter months, where average concentrations have increased almost ten-fold. WSSC Water has seen a 104% increase in chloride levels. Although winter salt isn't the only way salt is added to our waterways, but it is a major factor.

Salt is a "forever pollutant", which means that once it is in the water it is nearly impossible to remove.  

So, what can we do to make a difference? We can be Winter Salt Smart.

How to be Winter Salt Smart when it snows:

• Only apply salt when it is necessary. If you must salt, salt lightly.
• Never use winter salt to melt the snow. Instead, shovel early and often.
• Use only 1 mug of salt for 10 sidewalk squares.
• Salt granules should be 3 inches apart.
• Saving the swept up winter salt for a future storm helps save money and protects our waterways!
• For areas that tend to freeze quickly or stay frozen, using a salt brine solution uses much less salt but maintains safety.  Make your own salt brine  to treat these areas.

Let your friends, neighbors, and property managers know how to be Winter Salt Smart. Share the word on your social media pages using the graphics below.

Use the PDF below to share with property managers and business owners.

If you see a large pile of salt spilled in the road or an uncovered salt pile, reach out to the responsible party to request that they clean it up.

**COMING SOON** Links with contact information for roadways in the region.

The Izaak Walton League of America has a nationwide citizen science program tracking chloride levels in our streams and rivers. Take the Salt Pledge and they'll send you a  free test kit  and instructions on how to test your local streams.

As a Salt Watcher, I pledge to...

• Reduce my road salt use at home and seek out safe alternatives when I can
• Share my knowledge about road salt and water pollution with my family, friends, and neighbors
• Use my FREE Salt Watch kit to test salt levels in my local waterways and add my findings to a national database

Q: What can I do to make a difference?

A: Use less winter salt in your own practices and let your friends, family, and colleagues know about the issue by using the shareable social media graphics found on this website.

Q: Why is winter salt a forever pollutant?

A: Once winter salt gets into our waterways it is close to impossible to remove it without expensive processes. Our drinking water suppliers cannot remove it from the water, so it ends up in our drinking water.

Q: Are there other ways chlorides are getting into our waterways?

A: Yes, there are other sources of chlorides. This includes water softening systems and industrial processes.

Do you have any other questions or comments? Please contact ICPRB and let us know!

Listed below is a number of resources for property managers, maintenance professionals, and residents.

•  Urban Freshwater Salinization StoryMap  from the United States Environmental Protection Agency
• Izaak Walton League of America  Salt Watch 
•  Wisconsin Salt Wise  provides videos on  business success stories ,  Winter Ops that Reduce Salt Use  and  The Environmental Toll of Salt and Deicers. 
•  Maryland Department of the Environment's Winter Salts  provides resources in both English and Spanish.
•  WSSC Water Salt Wise  monitors chloride levels in both the Potomac and Patuxent rivers.
•  MWCOG Winter Salt Smart  takes a regional look at the winter salt issue.
•  Northern Virginia Salt Management Strategy  provides a toolkit that balances the benefits and the negative impacts of salt use with practices that can minimize the consequences of salt use. 
•  Howard County Winter Salt Reduction  page has resources for being a Salt-Savvy Neighbor and Salting for Businesses Tip Cards.
•  Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection  Winter Salt Management page has usable graphics and more resources, including the impacts of winter salt on infrastructure, human health, and pets.