Salt: Resources
On this page:
The resources below are categorized for groups interested in salt management:
Regulatory Programs
State and Tribal Regulatory Programs are the foundation providing a legal framework to manage and reduce salt in the environment. States and Tribes have used a variety of approaches: variance, total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), and municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permits.
| Title | Keyword(s) |
|---|---|
| Ambient Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Chloride | EPA, National, 304(a), Criteria |
| Illinois: Chloride TLWQS (Variance) for the Chicago Area Waterway System | Illinois, Variance |
| Virginia: Chloride TMDLs for the Accotink Creek Watershed, Fairfax County, Virginia | Virginia, TMDL |
| Wisconsin: Department of Natural Resources Variances Program | Wisconsin, Variance |
| Minnesota: Chloride Management and MS4 permit | Minnesota, MS4 |
| Minnesota: Streamlined Chloride Variance Action Tree | Minnesota, Variance |
| Minnesota: Statewide Chloride Resources | Minnesota |
| Wisconsin: Recommendations for Pollutant Minimization Plans and Source Reduction Measures for Arsenic, Chloride, Copper, and Mercury Variances | Wisconsin, Pollutant Minimization Plan, PMP |
| Winter Salts | Maryland |
| Minnesota: Twin Cities Metro Area Chloride TMDL | Minnesota, TMDL |
| Minnesota: Strategy for Municipal Chloride Reduction and Minimization | Minnesota, Reduction Strategy |
Guidance and Tools
There are ways to control salt that do not involve Clean Water Act regulatory tools. Workgroups, public outreach and education, municipal ordinances, and workgroups are just a few ways to reduce salt in the environment.
| Title | Keyword(s) |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin Salt Wise | Wisconsin, Wisconsin Salt Wise |
| Izaak Walton League | Citizen Monitoring |
| DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup | Illinois, DuPage Salt Creek Workgroup |
| Maumee: In Support of Ohio's Areas of Concern Document (pdf) (1,037 KB) | Ohio, Framework, Great Lakes |
| Minnesota: Guide to Developing a Local Water Softener Rebate Program | Minnesota, Water Softening |
| Minnesota: Chloride Reduction Model Ordinance Language (pdf) (431.35 KB) | Minnesota, Model Ordinance |
| Wisconsin: Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District Chloride Reduction | Wisconsin, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District |
| Wisconsin: Household Door to Door Talking Points | Wisconsin, Public Outreach |
| Wisconsin: Outreach Tools | Wisconsin, Public Outreach |
| Illinois: Fact Sheet for Public Works Directors and Staff Chloride Usage Education and Reduction Program | Illinois, Outreach to Technical Staff |
Winter Maintenance
Winter maintenance significantly contributes to salt in the environment. Salt is applied to roads, parking lots, trails, and sidewalks to melt snow and ice. However, best management practices and salt alternatives are available to ensure public safety while reducing salt in the environment.
Below are tools and information to help better manage salting during the winter season. Below are external tools and information that states and municipalities have used to manage salt during the winter season. Winter is Coming! And with it, tons of salt on our roads...
Notice: These tools were not created by EPA and have not been verified by EPA. This is a collection of potentially helpful resources; tools and information listed here are not endorsed by EPA.
Source Reduction Techniques
Reduction techniques are one of the main methods to reduce salt in the environment. Below is a table with tools and information to help better manage salting reduction techniques. Keywords have been added to help filter the available resources.
| Title | Keyword(s) |
|---|---|
| ESRI Water Softener Screener Tool | Wisconsin, Water Softening |
| A Review of Residential Water Softening | Minnesota, Water Softening |
| Alternatives for Addressing Chloride in Wastewater Effluent | Minnesota, Wastewater |
| Water Permit Holders and Chloride in Minnesota | Minnesota, Permits |
| Residential Best Management Practices | Virginia, BMPs, Winter Maintenance |
| The Skinny on Water Softeners | Minnesota, Water Softening |
| Options for Homeowners to Assess and Reduce Water Softening Using Salt | Wisconsin, Water Softening |
| The Real Costs of Salt Use for Winter Maintenance in the Twin Cities Metro Area | Minnesota, Economics, Road Deicing |
| Winter Salt Watch | Izaak Walton League, Citizen Science |
| Catalyzing Stakeholder-Driven Solutions to Inland Freshwater Salinization | Virginia, Economics |
Notice: This is a collection of potentially helpful resources; tools and information listed here are not endorsed by EPA.