Salt & Sustainability
Road salt helps keep our roads and walkways safe in the winter, but using too much can hurt our environment.
Once salt is in our waterways, it does not break down. It only takes one teaspoon of salt to pollute five gallons of water to a level that is toxic. Salt is beginning to contaminate our lakes, waterways, and groundwater.
Learn more about why we use road salt and how salt affects our waters.
Reducing road salt
It is possible to dramatically lower road salt use while maintaining winter safety. The City partners with WI Salt Wise to reduce the negative impacts of road salt.
We pre-treat roads with salt brine before winter storms hit, which can reduce salt use by up to 70 percent.
Our Winter Salt Certification program trains municipal and private salt applicators on techniques to lower salt use.
Reducing your salt use
You can also help to reduce your salt use when clearing your sidewalks:
- Shovel to remove snow and ice before applying salt. Don’t toss salt on top of snow.
Use only what you need. A 12-ounce coffee mug of salt is enough to treat 10 sidewalk squares. The right amount of salt looks like this:
- Switch to sand when temperatures drop below 15°F. Salt does not work when the temperature is below 15°F.
- Consider choosing a certified contractor if you hire a private company to clear your snow.
We may issue fines for excessive use of salt. We are enforcing this rule to help keep our waterways clean.
