Smart Salting Workshops
Help reduce the impacts of road salt to local water qualityWhat is the Smart Salting Workshop?
Our Smart Salting Workshop has been broken down into two separate workshops. Each workshop will cover best practices for winter road salt practitioners for either road application or parking lots and sideswalks. All in an effort to reduce impacts of road salt to local water quality!
Milwaukee Riverkeeper works with Bolton & Menk, Inc. to host a workshop where you will learn state of the art winter maintenance practices, including how to transition to liquid deicers, to reduce overall salt application to parking lots, driveways, sidewalks and roads.
The workshop is part of a larger grant-supported effort funded by Fund for Lake Michigan to increase awareness of the impact of winter deicing activities on local waterways through Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s public education and monitoring work. That means, there is NO COST to attend.
You’ll receive:
- a certification in snow and ice control best practices from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- training materials
- lunch and refreshments
When and where is the Smart Salting workshop taking place?
WINTER MAINTENANCE FOR ROADS: Tuesday, August 22nd, 2023 from 8AM to 1PM
WINTER MAINTENANCE FOR PARKING LOTS & SIDEWALKS: Wednesday, August 23rd, 2023 from 8AM to 1PM
These events will be held in UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences (600 E Greenfield Ave).
Who can participate?
This workshop is intended for individuals who are professionally involved in winter road, parking lot, or sidewalk maintenance. This can include private, public, and government entities. However, this event is FREE and open to the public. Even if you are not professionally involved in winter road maintenance, you are welcome to sign up and attend this workshop.
Why does it matter?
Deicers, like road salt, make our roads safer during the winter, but overapplying salt can pose a very real threat to the health of our rivers and environment.
Water runs over the landscape after precipitation and melting events and picks up chemicals and pollutants along the way. Pollutants, like chloride-based deicers, eventually end up in rivers, streams, and lakes and negatively impact water quality, aquatic life, vegetation, soil, pets, wildlife, roads, and vehicles. You can learn more about the impacts that road salt is having on our environment by visiting our interactive Story Map.
Fortunately, much of the salt that is being applied to our road ways can be reduced by applying best practices. Winter maintenance workers are perfectly positioned to make a difference by integrating these practices into their maintenance routines. Furthermore, by implementing best winter maintenance practices, you can effectively reduce the amount salt that you are applying and in turn reduce your bottom line.
Certified Individuals in Snow & Ice Control Best Practices
Support businesses who are implementing best practices to reduce the environmental impacts of road salts. Certified individuals have attended training, passed certification test and agreed to use best practices when controlling snow and ice.