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Minnesota Stormwater Manual

Difference between revisions of "Smart Salting Assessment tool (SSAt)"

 
 
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[[file:WMAt log in page.png|400px|thumb|alt=image of WMAt|<font size=3>[http://www.wintermaintenancetool.com Main page for WMAt]</font size>]]
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[[File:Updated SSAt login page.PNG|400px|thumb|alt=image of WMAt|<font size=3>[https://www.pca.state.mn.us/events-and-meetings/smart-salting-level-2-smart-salting-assessment-tool Main page for SSAt]</font size>]]
  
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There are thousands of miles of streets and highways in Minnesota, along with parking lots and sidewalks that must be maintained to provide safe conditions throughout the winter. Winter maintenance of these surfaces currently relies heavily on the use of salt, primarily sodium chloride (NaCl), to prevent ice build-up and remove ice where it has formed.
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The Smart Salting Assessment tool (SSAt), formerly the Winter Maintenance Assessment tool, has been developed as a resource of all known salt saving BMPs. The SSAt is a free, web-based tool that can be used to assist public and private winter maintenance organizations in determining where opportunities exist to improve practices, make reductions in salt use, and track progress.  
  
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In response to the increase in chloride concentrations from winter maintenance activities in area lakes, streams, wetlands, and groundwater, Minnesota state agencies, local municipalities, and experts across the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (TCMA) have partnered to create a Chloride Management Plan to effectively manage salt use to protect our water resources in a responsible and strategic approach.
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<span style="color:red">PLEASE NOTE:  This SSAt was developed to help minimize the use of road salt on Minnesota parking lots, sidewalks and roadways.  However, this tool works for any location where road salt is used as a de-icer.  The MPCA created this tool in a web-based environment and encourages the use of the tool anywhere there is a need to minimize road salt use.</span>
  
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As part of the TCMA Chloride Management Plan development, the first of its kind, Winter Maintenance Assessment tool (WMAt) has been developed as a resource of all known salt saving best management practices (BMPs). The WMAt is a web‐based tool that can be used to assist public and private winter maintenance organizations in determining where opportunities exist to improve practices, make reductions in salt use and track progress.
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*[https://www.pca.state.mn.us/events-and-meetings/smart-salting-level-2-smart-salting-assessment-tool Link to the Smart Salting Assessment tool (SSAt)]
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*[[How to create a WMAt account|How to create a SSAt account]]
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The WMAt contains a list of roughly 180 BMPs that allows agencies and companies to complete an assessment of their current winter maintenance practices and speculate on potential future practices to understand how to reduce the use of chlorides, while still providing an acceptable level of service. Utilization of this planning tool will allow the user to track their progress over time and show the results of their efforts. It also can predict salt savings and associated cost savings (with a low degree of accuracy at this point) based on the industry’s current salt savings research.
 
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Finally, once an assessment has been completed, a report can be generated summarizing current practices as “remedial”, “best” and “advanced” identifying areas for future improvement. The report is an excellent and convenient tool for winter maintenance managers to use to communicate winter maintenance operations to residents, clients or elected officials.
 
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<span style="color:red">PLEASE NOTE:  This WMAt was developed to help minimize the use of road salt on Minnesota parking lots, sidewalks and roadways.  However, this tool works for any location where road salt is used as a de-icer.  The MPCA created this tool in a web-based environment and encourages the use of the tool anywhere there is a need to minimize road salt use.</span>
 
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*[http://www.wintermaintenancetool.com Link to the Winter Maintenance Assessment tool (WMAt)]
 
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*[[How to create a WMAt account]]
 
  
 
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*Overview and impacts of road salt and deicers
 
*Overview and impacts of road salt and deicers
 
**[[How salt works and overview of deicing chemicals]]
 
**[[How salt works and overview of deicing chemicals]]
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**[[Environmental impacts of road salt and other de-icing chemicals|Environmental impacts of road salt and other deicing chemicals]]
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**[[Environmental impacts of road salt and other de-icing chemicals]]
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**[[Other impacts of road salt use]]
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**[[Other impacts of deicer use]]
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*Smart Salting Best Management Practices (BMPs)
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*[[Information on costs and economic impacts of road salt]]
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**[[Snow and salt storage]]
 
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**[[Salt application BMPs]]
 
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**[[Technology-based deicing BMPs]]
 
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**[[Non-chloride chemical alternatives for deicing]]
 
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**[[Emerging and non-traditional deicing BMPs]]
 
 
*Management tools
 
*Management tools
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**[[Chloride Management Plan]]
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**[https://www.pca.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/wq-s1-94.pdf Minnesota Statewide Chloride Management Plan]  
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**[[Winter Maintenance Assessment tool (WMAt)]]
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**[https://smartsaltingtool.com Smart Salting Assessment tool (SSAt)]
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*Smart Salting (S2) training program
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**[https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/statewide-chloride-resources Model Ordinances]
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**[[Winter Parking Lot and Sidewalk Maintenance Manual]]
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**[https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/statewide-chloride-resources Model Snow and Ice Policies]  
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**[[Winter Parking Lot and Sidewalk Maintenance Factsheet]]
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*MPCA Smart Salting Training Program
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**[[Smart Salting (S2) training information]]
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**[https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/smart-salting-training Smart Salting Training Program]  
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**[[Smart Salting (S2) training certificate holders]]
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**[https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/smart-salting-training-calendar/2021-01 Smart Salting Training Calendar]  
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*[[Educational resources for Smart Salting (S2)]]
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**[https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/salt-applicators Resources for Winter Maintenance Professionals]  
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*[[Cost-benefit considerations for Smart Salting (S2) and road salt winter maintenance]]
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**[https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/statewide-chloride-resources Chloride Reduction Assistance]  
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*[[Case studies for Smart Salting (S2) and road salt winter maintenance]]
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*Education Resources
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*[[Chloride TMDL projects]]
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**[[Educational resources for Smart Salting (S2)]]. For more information on chloride resources, see [https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/statewide-chloride-resources Statewide chloride resources]
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*[[Links for Smart Salting (S2) and road salt winter maintenance]]
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**[[Success stories: salt reduction and cost saving examples]]
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**[https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/statewide-chloride-resources Technical reports and Chloride TMDLs]
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**[https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/water-permit-holders-and-chloride Chloride and NPDES Permits]  
 
*[[References for Smart Salting (S2) and road salt winter maintenance]]
 
*[[References for Smart Salting (S2) and road salt winter maintenance]]
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*Chloride and groundwater
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**[https://www.mgwa.org/documents/whitepapers/impacts_of_stormwater_infiltration_on_chloride_in_minnesota_groundwater.pdf Impacts of stormwater infiltration on chloride in Minnesota groundwater] - White paper produced for the Minnesota Groundwater Association
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**[https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php?title=File:Chloride_groundwater_loading_calculator.xlsx Calculator for estimating chloride loading to groundwater]
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**[[Guidance for calculator to estimate chloride loading to groundwater from infiltration]]
  
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[[Category:Road salt and de-icing]]
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[[Category:Level 2 - Pollutants/Chloride]]
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[[Category:Level 2 - Management/Winter management]]
 
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Latest revision as of 14:38, 23 November 2022

image of WMAt
Main page for SSAt

The Smart Salting Assessment tool (SSAt), formerly the Winter Maintenance Assessment tool, has been developed as a resource of all known salt saving BMPs. The SSAt is a free, web-based tool that can be used to assist public and private winter maintenance organizations in determining where opportunities exist to improve practices, make reductions in salt use, and track progress.

PLEASE NOTE: This SSAt was developed to help minimize the use of road salt on Minnesota parking lots, sidewalks and roadways. However, this tool works for any location where road salt is used as a de-icer. The MPCA created this tool in a web-based environment and encourages the use of the tool anywhere there is a need to minimize road salt use.


Related pages

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This page was last edited on 23 November 2022, at 14:38.