(C) Wisconsin Watch
This story was originally published by Wisconsin Watch and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Are chloride levels increasing in Wisconsin waterways because of road salt use? [1]

['Hope Karnopp', 'Wisconsin Watch', 'More Hope Karnopp', 'Reporting Intern']

Date: 2022-12-21 17:16:56+00:00

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Wisconsin Watch is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit newsroom that focuses on government integrity and quality of life issues. Sign up for our newsletter for more stories straight to your inbox.

Yes.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, chloride concentrations in 26 of Wisconsin’s largest river systems increased from 600,000 tons in the early 2000s to 800,000 tons in 2018.

The department said the rise is “partly due to road salting” but also cited water softeners and fertilizers as factors.

The department set the toxicity threshold for aquatic life at 395 mg/L. The EPA’s secondary standard for chloride in drinking water (based on taste and smell, not health) is 250 mg/L. A map shared by WI Salt Wise shows parts of Wisconsin already exceed these limits, particularly in central and southeastern Wisconsin.

The issue of elevated chloride levels extends beyond Wisconsin: researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey found that chloride concentrations “increased substantially” in 84% of urban streams studied between 1960 and 2011 in multiple states.

Sources

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Reduce Salt Use This Winter

WI Salt Wise Hidden Costs of Oversalting

WI Salt Wise Road Salt Report

U.S. Geological Survey Evaluating chloride trends due to road-salt use and its impacts on water quality and aquatic organisms

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://wisconsinwatch.org/2022/12/are-chloride-levels-increasing-in-wisconsin-waterways-because-of-road-salt-use/

Published and (C) by Wisconsin Watch
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons BY-ND 4.0 Intl.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/wisconsinwatch/