Welcome to the Village of DeForest's Salt Reduction Initiative—an effort aimed at redefining how we approach salt reduction processes and minimize environmental impact. In recognizing the importance of balancing safety with sustainability, we are proud to introduce innovative strategies to reduce winter salt usage. Let's create a resilient and thriving community, where winter safety aligns seamlessly with responsible salt management.
1. Shovel
Clear walkways and other areas before the snow turns to ice. The more snow you remove manually, the less salt you will have to use and the more effective it will be.
2. Scatter
If you use salt, scatter it so there is space between the grains. A coffee mug of salt is enough to treat an entire 20-foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares.
3. Switch
When pavement temperatures drop below 15 degrees, salt won't work. Switch to sand for traction or a different ice melter that work at lower temperatures.
Sweeping up excess salt after the snow and ice melts helps keep it from running off into storm sewers, lakes and rivers. One teaspoon of de-icing salt can permanently pollute 5 gallons of water. You can reuse salt by storing it in a cool dry place.
Stripes on roads before a storm are anti-icing. Anti-icing prevents the formation of a bond between the snow and the pavement. This jumpstarts the melting process, inhibits ice formation, and reduces the total amount of salt needed.
If you are a winter maintenance professional, consider a free training for winter maintenance professionals who remove snow, apply road salt or maintain snow removal equipment. Learn how using the right amount of salt can save time, budget and our waters.
To reduce salt usage while keeping our streets safe, the Village uses several strategies:
- A salt brine solution is pre-sprayed on roadways before forecasted snow events.
- Snow is removed through plowing before salt application.
- Salt is only applied if the temperature and weather conditions are appropriate.
- The Village salt spreading equipment is calibrated to ensure the correct salt application rate is used.
- The Village of DeForest's Public Services crew is Salt Wise-Certified.
WI Salt Wise Municipal Champions Success Story Feature:
Winter maintenance operations at the Village began to undergo a transformation after staff attended an eye-opening winter maintenance training class. Using best practices and new equipment like anti-icing, ground speed controllers, they have been working to reduce the amount of salt used on Village roads to protect water resources.
In addition to reducing the amount of salt going on the roadway, the Village went a step further to rehabilitate sewer infrastructure that allowed salty snow and ice melt into the sewer. Replacing open pick hole castings and deteriorated adjustment rings, raising the grade of the covers (preventing water from pooling around sewer castings), replacing leaky adjustment rings leading from the cover down to the sewer, and removing the open pick hole manhole covers and installing a new manhole cover with a rubber gasket on 14 manholes, is estimated to effectively prevent over one thousand pounds of salt from entering the sewer system each year. - WI Salt Wise
