Eden Prairie is participating in Winter Salt Awareness Week Jan. 26–30 to raise awareness around salt pollution and reduction solutions.

Why Road Salt is Dangerous

• The main ingredient used in salt — chloride — is a pollutant. When chloride enters water, it changes salinity levels, making it more difficult for plants and animals to survive and reproduce.
• When chloride enters soil, the soil can lose its ability to hold water and store nutrients, which creates an unhealthy environment for plants and trees and makes it difficult to garden and landscape.
• When used frequently, road salt is proven to shorten the lifespan of driveways, roads and sidewalks.
• It takes only 1 teaspoon of road salt to pollute 5 gallons of water forever!

Ways to Reduce Your Salt Use

• Shovel as soon as possible and use an ice chipper to break up ice.
• Use salt sparingly and spread each grain approximately 3 inches apart; 1 cup of salt melts 150 square feet.
• Use sand instead of salt when temperatures are below 15 degrees; salt is not effective in cold temperatures.
• Sweep, collect or pick up extra salt to prevent runoff, then reuse during the next snowfall.
• Store salt indoors and keep it covered.
• Route downspouts to avoid sending water to a surface where it can refreeze and become a hazard.
• Avoid planting trees where they could block the sun from reaching driveways and walkways.
• If you hire a service provider, ask if they’ve completed the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Smart Salting Certification.
• Contact the City to request a salt audit on your property.

Ways to Get Involved in Winter Salt Awareness Week

• Register for free livestreamed webinars at WinterSaltWeek.org.
• If you are responsible for sidewalk or parking lot maintenance at a business, take the MPCA’s “Smart Salting” training.
• If you are part of a faith-based community or homeowner’s association in charge of its own winter maintenance, contact Water Resources Coordinator Lori Haak to learn more about Hennepin County's "Low Salt No Salt Minnesota" program.

edenprairiemn.gov/ReduceSaltUse