By Amy Deming
City of Madison Water Utility

We rely heavily on road salt during our Wisconsin winters, but all that salt comes with a big environmental price. Our local lakes, waterways, groundwater and soil have been absorbing virtually all of the salt spread in the city for more than six decades. Chloride from salt is toxic to small aquatic life and degrades the natural ecosystem of our lakes. Salt infiltration has also been observed at five of Madison’s 22 municipal drinking water wells.

But it is possible to dramatically reduce salt use while maintaining winter safety. This fall, the City of Madison is implementing a Winter Salt Certification Program, offering free training to help private and municipal applicators lower their salt use.

Want to help make a difference at home? Start by using only what you need. The image shows what the right amount of salt looks like. Remember, salt becomes ineffective when temperatures drop below 15 degrees.

If you hire a landscaping company to handle your winter maintenance, encourage them to get certified. Salt spread on parking lots, sidewalks and driveways makes up about half of the total winter salt use in Madison.

Get more tips and information at WiSaltWise.com, a partnership of area municipalities, agencies and environmental groups focused on raising awareness about responsible salt use.