Salt is a pollutant that degrades infrastructure, soils, and our freshwater.
All the salt that we apply to roads and sidewalks ends up in our freshwater. Salt can be an effective deicer, but more isn’t always better. Salt prematurely ages roads and bridges and degrades freshwater lakes and streams. Merrill is working this winter to implement the following smart salting practices: calibrating salt spreading equipment, incorporating the use of salt brine, educating operators, and avoiding the overapplication of salt.
Like Merrill, dozens of Wisconsin municipalities are striving to improve the winter maintenance programs and slow down the salting of our lakes, streams, and drinking water. Many citizens, however, are not aware of the issue. It’s for this reason that 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 Jan. 23-Jan. 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 kids about salt pollution, and other ways to get involved. Speakers will stream live over YouTube from 12:30-1:00 p.m. each of these days, 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). Tune in at the WI Salt Wise YouTube channel or register at www.wisaltwise.com.