Use Greener Ice Melt
With a little forethought, you can reduce the need for de-icing chemicals and choose safe alternatives.
Chemicals from ice melt eventually find their way into rivers and streams, permeating our groundwater and posing potential risks to water supplies, pets, plants, and aquatic life.
Some de-icing chemicals harden the soil and make it too salty for plant growth, while others overload it with nutrients that can reduce oxygen levels in nearby streams and ponds. Still, other products corrode concrete, roadways, bridges, and cars.
While creating a safe environment during icy weather is a top priority, it’s also important to choose an ice melt that won’t harm our environment.
If a product claims to be “pet-friendly” it is likely to be eco-friendly.
Our de-icing suggestions:
- Avoid Sodium Chloride or “rock salt”. Traditional rock salt (sodium chloride) is pretty much the worst of all available options.
- Look for “Pet Safe” and “CMA”. Products marketed as “Pet-Safe” will also be eco-friendly. Products containing a significant amount of calcium magnesium acetate, or “CMA,” are some of the most benign options commonly available.
- Second best options are calcium chloride and magnesium chloride.
- Use the right amount! Use 1 cup of product per 500 square feet and never exceed the application rate on the package. Using too much product can damage surfaces and harm the environment.
- Create and use a salt brine. Spraying a salt brine before snow will prevent the snow from sticking to the ground and forming ice. It will also make it easier to shovel. Get directions here.
- Apply in advance of a winter storm. Early attention before a storm will help prevent the formation of ice. When the snow starts falling, the ice melt will create a brine solution, helping to prevent ice from bonding to the surface. Be sure to check if predicted storms will turn to rain. Rain can wash away ice melt, causing environmental issues and wasting your money.
- Disperse ice melt properly. Contrary to popular opinion, using large amounts of ice melt does not affect the speed at which ice and snow melt.
- Use a mechanical spreader for accurate coverage. The proper coverage rate is about one cup per square yard. This coverage will fan out and undercut the ice so that you can shovel the walkway clear.
- Continue to disperse ice melt during a storm. This helps to prevent snow from becoming hard-packed on surfaces.
- Don’t use salt as a substitute for shoveling. Sometimes, a better shoveling job upfront will eliminate the need for ice melt or let you get away with a bit of sand instead (though overuse of sand can also be a problem).
Additional resources:
Ice Melt Application Amount: How Much is Enough?
It can be hard to tell how much ice melt you really need. Too little leaves surfaces slippery. Too much wastes money and can harm the environment. Use the guide below to help you apply the right amount.
NepRWA Monitors Salinity Across the Watershed
NepRWA scientists place continuous loggers in Watershed streams each November to measure the salinity of the water as we enter winter and road salting season.
The loggers track salt levels from road salt to measure how much salt is making its way into the streams.
Learn more about this program.
Watch the video below to hear Franklin DPW Director “Brutus” Cantoreggi and Highway Superintendent Carlos Rebelo describe how they have to manage both keeping the roads safe from ice AND providing clean, salt-free drinking water to the residents. Courtesy of Trillium Studios.
