salt – East Metro Water

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency launches new SMART salt module for rural communities

By: angiehongmn January 31, 2026January 29, 2026

Keeping water clean, Partners and Updates, Uncategorizedchloride pollution, featured, Minnesota, MPCA, rural roads, salt, winterLeave a Comment

Road maintenance in rural communities like Grant and Stillwater Township is significantly different than in larger cities like Oakdale and Woodbury. A new rural roads training module aims to help small communities stretch their limited public works budgets while also protecting local lakes and streams from salt and sediment pollution.

Finding frozen frogs

By: angiehongmn December 19, 2025December 16, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Wildlifefeatured, fish, frogs, lakes, Minnesota, salt, turtles, winter1 Comment

When the snow falls and lakes freeze over, Minnesota’s wildlife employ a variety of adaptations to stay alive.

Try chicken grit as an eco-friendly alternative to salt

By: angiehongmn December 5, 2025December 1, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanchicken grit, chloride, featured, salt, winterLeave a Comment

One way that homeowners, businesses, HOAs, and community organizations can help to reduce water pollution from winter salt is by using chicken grit as a no-salt alternative.

St. Croix Watershed research highlights growing impact of chloride pollution

By: angiehongmn July 18, 2025July 17, 2025

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanchloride, featured, lakes, Minnesota, salt, St. croix Watershed research station, water pollution, winterLeave a Comment

Chloride is toxic to freshwater organisms like fish, frogs, and aquatic invertebrates and also alters lakes’ internal chemistry, causing a cascade of unexpected impacts.

When temps plummet, turn to sand or grit instead of salt

By: angiehongmn January 24, 2025

Keeping water cleanfeatured, ice, salt, winterLeave a Comment

By the time temps drop below 15°F, salt pretty much stops working and the ice will remain solid, no matter how much salt you dump on the ground.

Local cities find innovative strategies to reduce chloride pollution

By: angiehongmn December 17, 2024

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water clean, Partners and Updateschloride, featured, Minnesota, salt, winterLeave a Comment

From heated sidewalks to GPS-based snow plow systems, local cities are taking big steps to reduce chloride pollution.

As cities work to reduce their salt use, more action is still needed to protect water resources

By: angiehongmn December 7, 2023December 5, 2023

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanchloride, featured, Minnesota, salt, winterLeave a Comment

Communities across the Twin Cities are currently waging a battle against time, as they work to curb the flow of salt into lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater before it’s too late.

A very hygge holiday?

By: angiehongmn December 9, 2022

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanchloride, featured, salt, water pollution, winterLeave a Comment

Most often, you experience hygge with a small group of friends or family, possibly in front of a fireplace with warm wooly socks and a steaming drink in hand, but definitely not behind the wheel of a car, careening through rush hour traffic in the middle of an ice storm.

Salt continues to pollute Minnesota lakes and streams

By: angiehongmn January 20, 2022January 18, 2022

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanchloride, chloride impairment, featured, salt, water pollution11 Comments

Once concentrations are high enough, the chloride becomes toxic to fish and invertebrates and can even prevent lakes from turning over the in spring and fall.

Salt a growing problem for Minnesota’s water

By: angiehongmn October 26, 2021October 29, 2021

Aquatic Biology, Groundwater, Keeping water cleanchloride pollution, featured, MPCA, road salt, salt, water softenersLeave a Comment

Overall, the MPCA has determined that road salt is responsible for 42% of the chloride in groundwater, lakes and streams. Two other major sources of chloride that are less well-known include agricultural fertilizers (23% of the total chloride) and water softeners, which account for up to 65% of the chloride discharged from municipal wastewater treatment plants.