Salt Management Plan: Waterloo, ON Canada
In 1997, Waterloo’s drinking water was tested with elevated chloride levels and later in 2002, the community formed the Road Salt Advisory Committee to combat this drinking water contamination issue. This committee included members form the water department, third party consultants, and members from the road department. In 2007 the committee formalized a comprehensive plan to fight the rising chloride levels with a 25% reduction target for salt usage over a long term average.
The main focuses were:
1. Tracking winter material usage and comparing usage to winter severity indicators.
Salt, sand, and liquid materials are tracked after each winter then compared to the 25% reduction goal.
2. Constructing a new salt facility to improve salt handling practices.
A new Waterloo Salt Facility was constructed in 2007.
3. Updating the winter maintenance policies and procedures.
Thus far, ten policies have been passed and approved by the Committee: Winter Maintenance Committee and Innovation, Material Storage and Loading, Selection and Application of Materials, and Snow Plowing and Winter Maintenance. Each of these policies’ training is updated every five years.
4. Automatic vehicle location system program
Primary goal is to track amount of salt being spread in order to track how much salt is being released into drinking water intake areas.
5. Use of other ice control materials that boost performance
Waterloo Region uses a premixed salt bring and beet juice solution for anti-icing and pre-wetting the salt. This organic solution reduces the amount of salt being spread.
6. Roadside weather station information program
This program includes a live stream video and active road sensors that determine the freezing point of any solution on the road. This helps prevent application of the wrong materials on a road.
7. Snow removal and disposal study including a salt vulnerable area study.
This study identified areas of snow disposal and Salt vulnerable areas. This informs crews where not to spread the snow due to a high likelihood of contamination of drinking water.
8. Groundwater monitoring program and the Mass Balance Model.
Prediction of salt concentrations help determine if salt target goal will be enough to reduce salt amount in drinking water.
The Results:
Reduced salt by 25%
Increased level of service
Improved road safety
Decreased corrosion of equipment
Reduced sand use by more than 40%
Quicker road cleanup after storm
Greater residual