This BMP addresses a dual, sometimes conflicting need. Students, faculty, staff and visitors deserve safe streets, parking lots and walks, which is often facilitated when salt is used to melt ice. However, salt is detrimental to our environment. Salt pits concrete walks and streets so that they eventually need to be replaced often sooner than otherwise might be the case. Salt rusts and can destroy car exteriors, handrails and other items made of ferrous metals.
Salt can injure and or kill grass, flowers and other vegetation along campus walkways.
Perhaps most importantly, salt dissolved in rainwater and snowmelt may drain into the storm sewer system. This system subsequently discharges into Lakes Mendota and Monona. Salt in lakes and streams is measured as the chemical pollutant chloride, and chloride, at elevated levels, is toxic to fish and other aquatic life. Winter salt use is by far the major source of chloride in our lakes. Because chloride is water soluble and does not degrade in the environment, it can accumulate in lakes and ponds.