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Gem Lake News Page 6 of 8 <br /> <br /> Smart Salting Tips for Gem Lake Residents and Businesses <br /> <br />Smart salting is a concept that refers to being thoughtful <br />about your use of winter salting in order to maintain <br />groundwater quality and help the environment. <br /> <br />According to the Vadnais Lakes Area Water <br />Management Organization (VLAWMO), one teaspoon of <br />rock salt is enough to pollute 5 gallons of water! Once <br />salt is introduced into our lakes and wetlands, it’s stuck <br />in that water as it moves along to larger rivers and lakes. <br />This changes the aquatic environment and harms our <br />water resources over time. In addition to posing threats <br />to water quality, salt causes damage to concrete and <br />asphalt, potentially causing it to heave or crack. <br /> <br />What can you do to create smart salting good habits? <br /> <br />• Use tools first: Shovel, scraper, or broom. <br /> <br /> <br />• Disperse salt or other de-icers evenly without piles. <br />The goal is not to form a blanket, but to break the <br />bonds of ice/compacted snow. <br /> <br /> <br />Once salt crystal infiltrates the ice/compacted snow, a <br />scraper can chop and scrape the surface. Shoveling off <br />the ice chunks reduces the need to re-apply. <br /> <br />Salt that’s diluted with meltwater becomes less <br />effective: refreezing occurs and raises the risk for <br />falls. <br /> <br /> <br />• More product doesn’t mean faster results: The <br />chemical reaction depends on temperature. <br /> <br /> <br />• Excess product remains in meltwater and runoff <br />• Never apply de-icers to dry pavement or loose snow <br />• Sweep up extra salt and sand. <br /> <br /> <br />