Salting Sidewalks Information
It’s the season of snow, ice, shoveling, and salt! Using too much salt can result in increased wear on infrastructure, damage to vegetation, and excess runoff into our waterways that can harm wildlife. Here are some reminders about how to use salt effectively while minimizing negative impacts.
- Salt is not meant to remove snow. Sweep, shovel, or scrape ice off of sidewalks and steps before reaching for the salt.
- More salt does not necessarily mean more melting. When applying salt before a storm or after shoveling, spread it evenly and sparsely. A 12-ounce mug of salt is enough to cover 200 square feet of pavement—that's about 10 sidewalk squares.
- Sweep up excess salt for reuse. Any salt that is left after ice has been melted can be reused during the next snow or freeze event.
- Try a salt brine instead. Salt brine is a liquid salt solution that is applied before it snows so that snow and ice don’t accumulate on the pavement as readily. Using salt brine reduces runoff, uses less salt, and can be more effective than rock salt. You can find recipes for DIY salt brines online.