Tips On Salt Use And Snow Removal
Winter is here and New Hope Public Works wants to remind residents why it’s so important not to use too much salt when removing ice & snow from sidewalks and driveways. The salt that is put down ends up in area streams, ponds, lakes and rivers. Area waterways are becoming saltier, affecting what kind of fish can live, and what kind of plants can grow in it. That’s why the city wants residents to remember the 4 ‘S’s to reduce salt usage: shovel, select, scatter, and sweep. SHOVEL whenever possible. If you need to use salt, SELECT salt that is appropriate for the temperature outside. Then make sure you SCATTER the salt, aiming to have grains 3 inches apart. It takes very little salt to treat a very large area. When the ice has melted SWEEP up whatever salt is left over. It doesn’t go bad, and can be used again, saving you money. The public works department also wants to remind residents who have sidewalks on their property to clear them within 24 hours after a snowfall. For more information on snow removal go to http://www.newhopemn.gov/snow and for information about smart salt usage visit http://saltsmart.info.
