Winter weather brings with it deicer, salt, and sand application. This relates to our municipal operations as well as citizens within our municipalities. Here are some reminders for this season to help protect water quality.
Reminders for Municipal Staff:
- Ensure your plow crews are prepared for a spill in the event of a hydraulic fluid leak.
- Deicer, sand, and salt should be stored under cover and out of any stormwater flow lines.
- Deicer and salt application must follow the recommended application rate on the Materials Safety Data Sheet.
- Spreader equipment should be calibrated at the beginning of the season and inspected to ensure application is consistent.
- All gravel and sand must be swept from the roadways as soon as possible in the Spring.
Reminders for Citizens:
- Deicers are not a substitute for shoveling. They work together to ensure you have a clear path to walk. Please do not over apply deicer or salt.
- Try to shovel snow onto vegetated surfaces to allow the snowmelt to soak into the ground instead of flowing into the street.
- Melting snow carries deicers and other pollutants into the storm system which drains to the nearest waterbody.
- Winter Shoveling and Deicer Message Toolkit provides examples for social media and newsletter messaging.
Pollution Prevention Field Guides Available: