Salt your Fries, Not our Freshwater: Salt reduction champions share their stories
MADISON, WIS. — Register for the Sustainable Strategies Webinar, which will be streamed live this Thursday, December 10, from 12 to 1 p.m. Learn from community leaders who have adopted best winter maintenance practices to keep the public safe, save money, and cut their addictions to salt. The webinar will feature salt reduction success stories from Mayor Jim Paine, City of Superior; Mary Jo Lange, Director of Public Works/City Engineer for the City of Cudahy, Wis.; Wes Enterline, the Sustainability Director at UW-Whitewater; and Allison Madison from Wisconsin Salt Wise.
Salt from our sidewalks and roads is carried by stormwater to local lakes and streams. Salt permanently contaminates surface and drinking water. For every $70 in salt applied to our roads, we see $800 in infrastructure damage, including premature aging of roads, bridges, and vegetation loss. Throughout Wisconsin, communities are right-sizing their salt use to support both public safety and the long-term health of freshwater ecosystems.
Wisconsin Salt Wise’s Allison Madison stated, “All the salt that we put down on our sidewalks, driveways and roads ends up in our lakes, streams, or drinking water. Salt might disappear, but it doesn’t go away. By using one less teaspoon of salt, you protect five gallons of fresh water.”
Actively removing snow and ice with a shovel or broom first and using a salt-scatter pattern of 3″ inches between salt grains can significantly reduce the total amount of salt used. Switch deicers when temperatures drop below 15°F and salt no longer melts ice or use sand for traction.
To learn more about how you can reduce salt pollution, please contact Allison Madison
at allisonm@madsewer.org, or visit www.wisaltwise.com. Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District is a partner in Wisconsin Salt Wise, a coalition of organizations working together to reduce salt pollution in our lakes, streams and drinking water.
Wastewater Treatment Plant daily. Organized as a municipal corporation, the District is a leader in sustainability and resource reclamation. The District is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2020.
