APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – The start of winter weather means that salt is typically dumped on roads to combat the effects of snow and ice, but one northeast Wisconsin county is experimenting with an alternative they claim will save money.
Who knew salt could be so controversial? It turns out the conversation surrounding the best way to de-ice roads is a complicated one and Outagamie County believes they’ve found the answer… brine. And lots of it.
“We’re using more brine, but we’re using a lot less salt,” says Randy Roloff, Outagamie Highway Superintendent. “It’s 2.29 pounds of salt to make a gallon of brine.”
And using less salt could mean more money. Roloff thinks the move could save the county upwards of $300,000 a year.
And the intended benefits for the switch aren’t purely financial.
Officials claim brine, which is essentially salt with water and a few chemicals, simply sticks to the roads better as well.
“So the salt brine, the liquid, we can put right on the pavement and it starts working immediately,” explains Dean Steingraber, Outagamie County Highway Commissioner. “It doesn’t get kicked out, it stays there.”
Not everyone is so quick to pass the salt, though.
Dave Zentner, the owner of Zentner Auto Service, thinks the transition to brine has made cars begin to rust more quickly.
“From what I’m seeing, I have to believe the brine that they’ve been using the last few years is really killing these cars to rust,” he says.
For Zentner, he just has to look back a short time ago to see the difference.
“It seems to be a lot worse in the last five years than it has been over the years,” he explains.
