Just Sayin': Road salt endangers our groundwater
Curtis Hansen, left, and Jeff Malley push a motorist up the icy northbound off-ramp from I-25 to Baptist Road Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015, north of Colorado Springs, Colo. The storm system that dropped a foot of snow in the Rockies was making travel hazardous as it headed east on Wednesday, menacing the Plains with heavy snow and threatening turbulent weather, even tornadoes, in parts of the Midwest. (Mark Reis/The Gazette via AP) MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT Credit: AP
The abnormally warmer weather in December and lack of snow for the first half of this winter protected our water supply. Because road salt wasn’t needed for several weeks, it remained out of storm drains and drinking water.
People should know that anything that dissolves in water, including sugar or food coloring, melts snow. Salt is cheap, but it makes water undrinkable. Canada uses tomato juice.
We need to protect our water sources and find an alternative to melt our snow.
Gregory M. Gusew
Lake Ronkonkoma
