HomeMy Public PortalAboutDe-icer brochureBEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Snow & Ice Removal: Use mechanical means
before applying deicers.
Deicer Application: Follow manufacturer's
instructions and use only enough to break the
ice/pavement bond. Do not apply on
vegetation or near waterways. Use less
harmful deicers such as Calcium Magnesium
Acetate or Sodium/Potassium Acetate.
Snow & Ice Disposal: Do not dispose of snow
& ice in wetlands or catch basins or directly
on top of storm drains or ditches.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information about ways to prevent
stormwater pollution, please visit the Town's
website:
http://www.watertowndpw.org/161/Stormw
ater-Management
This brochure made in collaboration with
Mystic River
WATERSHED ASSOCIATION
www.mysticriver.org
Brochure adapted from Port Jefferson's
Storm water Management Program
Town of Watertown Snow and Ice Removal
Requirements
Businesses are required by law to clear their
sidewalks within 2 hours of the end of a
storm, or by the beginning of the next
business day (see zoning language below).
Businesses are subject to a fine of $100 for
the first offense, $200 for the second offense,
and $300 for the third offense.
"SNOW/ICE REMOVAL ORDINANCE -- Every
person in charge or control of any building or
lot of land within a business district and used
for business purposes in the City, fronting on
or abutting a paved sidewalk, shall remove
and clear away, snow and ice from a patch of
at least 36-inches in width from that portion
of the sidewalk, which abuts any side of the
building or lot of land. Such snow and/or ice
shall be removed within 2-hours after the
cessation of any fall of snow, sleet, or freezing
rain during business hours or by the beginning
of business hours of the next business day
following such fall."
The Town also requests that residents clear
their sidewalks, to allow neighbors to safely
move around town. This includes the many
children who use our sidewalks to get to
school.
For more information about the
requirements, contact the Zoning/Code
Enforcement Office at 617-972-6427.
WINTER
MAINTENANCE AND
DE-ICING
Proper Use of Deicers
for
Property & Business
Owners
WatertownTF
/"a ntor
We're all about ... this town."'
OVERVIEW
Snow and ice on roads, parking lots,
driveways, and sidewalks can create
hazardous conditions. Snow and ice removal
is best done non -chemically with plows and
shovels but, admittedly, the results are not
always adequate to ensure safety. Chemical
ice melters and/or sanding is often part of a
comprehensive strategy to make winter's
passage a safe one.
IMPACTS OF SALT & SAND
Salt and sand have traditionally been
perceived as the cheapest and most effective
materials for de-icing driving and walking
surfaces. However, many people do not
realize that they have hidden impacts that
can detract from their overall effectiveness.
Even in small quantities, salt can:
- Deplete the oxygen supply needed by
aquatic animals and plants;
- Leach into the ground and change soil
composition, making it hard for plants to
survive;
- Contaminate groundwater and surface
waters; and,
- Deteriorate paved surfaces, buildings,
infrastructures, and the environment.
Similarly, sand can:
- Bury the aquatic floor life, fill in habitats,
and cloud the water;
- Cause premature deterioration of floor
surfaces as it is tracked into buildings;
Lose its effectiveness after becoming
embedded in snow and ice;
- Enter catch basins, storm drains, and
surface waters if it is not swept up each
spring; and,
- Contribute to clogged storm drains, which
can cause flooding.
HOW DEICERS WORK
Generally, chemical ice melters depress the
freezing point of snow and ice and turn the
mixture into a liquid or semi -liquid slush. Solid
chemical salts bore through ice or snow and
form a strong brine solution. This brine
spreads under the ice or hard -packed snow
and undercuts, breaking the bond to the
surface. Once loose, the ice or snow is easily
removed.
PROPERTIES OF DEICERS
Sodium Chloride: Also known as rock salt, it
provides adequate, economical performance
at temperatures at or just below 32F; though
it loses most of its effectiveness when
temperatures fall below 22F. It can be
corrosive to steel, is harmful to roadside
vegetation, and can contaminate surface
water and drinking water.
Calcium and Magnesium Chloride: Though
they cost 2-3 times more than rock salt, they
are effective at lower temperatures, less
corrosive to metals, and less harmful to
roadside vegetation. They leave a white
residue on surfaces when dry.
Potassium Chloride: Though it costs about 10
times more than rock salt, it is effective at
lower temperatures, less corrosive to metals,
and considered to be more environmentally -
friendly than other salts because of its lower
chloride content.
Sodium or Potassium Acetate: Though they
cost about 8 times more than rock salt, they
are effective at lower temperatures, are not
corrosive to metals since they contain no
chlorides, and are safer for the environment.
Calcium Magnesium Acetate: Though it cost
about 5 times more than rock salt, it is
effective at lower temperatures, it is not
corrosive to metals, and is one of the most
environmentally -friendly ice melting
compounds.
NOTES ABOUT SAND
Sand is an abrasive that does not have any ice
melting capacity. It can provide traction for
walking or driving. It is typically mixed with a
deicer to prevent its clumping.
Sand is non -corrosive and inexpensive.
However, sand will accumulate and will clog
catch basins and stormwater systems. Sand
can also create problems with dust when it
dries. If you use sand on a commercial
parking lot of driveway, make sure to have
your parking lot swept and catch basins
cleaned at the end of the season.