Earth Action Heroes: Reducing the salt for water health

A growing number of Bloomington businesses, such as Friendship Village and Toro, as well as the City, are stepping up as Earth Action Heroes by becoming smart-salting certified through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Smart-salting training helps improve operator effectiveness and reduce chloride pollution while keeping roads, parking lots and sidewalks safe. Participating organizations have been able to reduce their salt use by 30-70%.

“The Toro Company chose to be Smart Salt Certified to help reduce salt usage and better protect our lakes, streams, plants and other surfaces,” said Drew Fischer, Toro Facilities Technician. “We have reduced our annual salt usage by hundreds of pounds, reducing costs, and minimizing salt impact outdoors on vegetation, soil, water and vehicles and indoors on carpets and flooring.”

The MPCA tracked two winters in Dakota County and found a reduction of 55 tons of salt per snow event after smart salt training. This protected about 40 million gallons of freshwater per snow event from chloride contamination.

“After the training, I applied salt differently,” said Charlie Rhein, the lead groundskeeper at Friendship Village of Bloomington. “We learned how the salt brine and salt crystals react differently depending on temperatures and the different ways of spreading salt that reduces use and saves us a lot of money.”

To join this growing list of Earth Action Heroes, visit blm.mn/eah.