Environment
The Dark Side of Road Salt
When cities and states apply tons of it to roads like they did this winter, drinking water supplies can be easily contaminated.
Winter is slowly loosening its grip on the United States. In some regions, though, the repeated onslaughts of snow and ice over the past months have left behind a hefty residue in the form of salt—enough to push drinking-water supplies well over the EPA’s advisory standard for people with diets that restrict sodium intake. In some places, it’s even enough to produce a noticeably salty taste for consumers.
According to a report on NorthJersey.com, so much deicing rock salt has been applied to New Jersey’s streets and roads this winter that sodium levels in some local drinking-water supplies are now at 108 milligrams per liter, five times the level recommended for people who need to limit their sodium.