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2024 EWRI Congress

Stormwater Symposium (UWRRC)

Rainfall and Climate Change / Cold Climate Stormwater Management: Effects of Deicing

28 - Five Things We’ve Learned about Road Salt Impacts and Alternatives

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

1:45 PM – 2:00 PM CT

Room: S 102 D

Author(s)

Andy Erickson, Ph.D., P.E. (he/him/his)

Research Manager
St. Anthony Falls Lab - Univ. of Minnesota

Co-Author(s)

CC

Chan Chun
John S. Gulliver, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

Professor Emeritus
University of Minnesota
Mihai Marasteanu, Ph.D.

Professor
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
MT

Mugur Turos
PW

Pete Weiss
William Herb, Ph.D

Research Associate
University of Minnesota

Snow and ice on roadway networks and airports are dangerous and the environmental impacts of deicing chemicals can be substantial. Typical applications use ~90 pounds of road salt (sodium chloride) per person per year to de-ice our roads and parking lots. One study estimated that ~78% of this road salt is trapped in stormwater ponds, surface lakes and wetlands, and in our shallow and deep groundwater. Surface streams and groundwater wells are becoming impaired with chloride, and residents are noticing the impacts. This presentation will cover several projects tasked with answering these questions: Do we have a salt legacy problem in our unsaturated soils? Can Permeable Pavements reduce Road Salt? Which Anti-icing chemicals work best? Do Road Salt Alternatives have Environmental Impacts? What Else Can We do? Overall, these projects investigated road salt alternatives and pavement innovations to reduce or eliminate the high flux of chloride from road salt into our environment and thus improve the water quality of our lakes, streams and groundwater.