Village of Lake George switches to treated rock salt

In response to concerns about water quality, the Village of Lake George, N.Y. has started using Magic Salt to de-ice its roads, according to the Glen Falls Post-Star. Magic Salt is the brand name of a treated salt product.

The switch comes after a 30-year study that found sodium levels in Lake George have tripled, with many believing that regular rock salt helped caused the spike. The treated salt product is more expensive than rock salt, but highway crews can use 40 percent less to cover the same road areas.

The Lake George Watershed Coalition has started a three-year pilot study of the treated salt product and is measuring sodium levels in the lake’s tributaries during the winter. On a cost-basis, the village’s public works department is reporting a net savings using Magic Salt – because it lasts longer on roads, the department is paying less in overtime to employees.

Image: A truck spreads road salt in Tennessee (Credit: Daniel Johnson, via Flickr)