Navigating Icy Roads and Road Salt for Drinking Water Health 

Spring is just around the corner, but snow and ice are still in the forecast and, with them, icy sidewalks and roads. Salt is commonly used to melt ice and reduce the risk created by icy conditions, but it also poses a significant threat to water quality. It’s important to ensure our use of salt doesn’t jeopardize the health of our groundwater and, with it, our drinking water. 

The salt applied to roads, driveways and sidewalks doesn’t disappear with melting snow; instead, it seeps into the ground, eventually mixing with groundwater — the source of drinking water for many residents in the Upper Thames River watershed. Salt in groundwater can lead to contamination, affecting the quality of water we rely on daily.  

Here are some simple ways that you can help reduce the negative impacts of road salt and protect groundwater: 

• Clear snow promptly before it compacts into ice, reducing the need for salt. If ice forms, break it up using a steel chopper and remove it with a shovel. 
• Use an alternative to salt, such as sand, grit, or non-clumping kitty litter, to provide traction without the negative impacts of salt. 
• If some salt is necessary, use a mix of sand and salt. This combination offers better traction, helps to melt ice, and uses less salt. 
• Use a minimal amount of salt – often, a few tablespoons of salt are enough for a 1 metre square area. Give the salt time to do its job before deciding whether more is needed, to reduce the amount used. 
• Clean up any spilled or excess salt for later use. Storing and containing salt properly can prevent it from leaching into the ground. 

By clearing snow early, using alternatives to salt, and minimizing salt usage, we can safeguard the health of our groundwater. Responsible salt application ensures winter safety without compromising the integrity of our most precious resource: water. 

Conservation Ontario has launched a social media campaign to enhance public awareness of Drinking Water Source Protection and highlight road salt issues, including promoting salt reduction and improved road salt management. The eight-week campaign runs to the last week of March. Follow the campaign on the Thames-Sydenham and Region Facebook page and LinkedIn page.