The state has launched a “Don’t Be Salty, New York” public-awareness campaign.

Overuse of salt can be costly for consumers, degrade infrastructure, contaminate runoff that enters streams and waterbodies, and impact drinking water, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. 

“It only takes one teaspoon of salt to pollute five gallons of water,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said in a release, promoting the campaign. “We’re asking all New Yorkers to take common-sense precautions before using too much rock salt on their sidewalks, driveways, and other places around their homes and businesses to help prevent unknowingly harming our environment.”

Road salt, which is 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride, rusts not just vehicles but bridges and the reinforcing rods in concrete. One study estimated that salt corrosion costs the United States $16 billion to $19 billion per year.

Salt wasn’t used on roads in the United States before World War II. And, since 1975, use of road salt has doubled. Besides being used on paved roads, road salt is applied to sidewalks, parking lots, and driveways.

Road salt accumulates in both surface and groundwater, which is harmful for humans as well as plants and animals. It can take decades for road salt to flush out of a watershed.

A study that traced salt levels in the Mohawk River, from 1952 to 1998, discovered concentrations of sodium increased by 130 percent and chloride increased by 243 percent; road salt was the primary reason as the surrounding area became more developed. The United States Geological Survey estimates that 40 percent of the nation’s urban streams have chloride levels that exceed safe guidelines for aquatic life, largely because of road salt.

Besides the dangers of people drinking salty water, high chloride increases the corrosion of poisonous lead from old water pipes, according to research by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Geological Survey.

Consistent with a recommendation in the 2023 Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force report, the DEC conducted a public survey in 2024 to better understand perceptions surrounding rock-salt use to make recommendations for reduction strategies to be applied throughout the state. Working with ADK Action’s “Clean Water Safe Roads” campaign, the DEC developed a statewide multimedia campaign to expand beyond Adirondack communities and reach all New Yorkers.

The DEC has developed a fact sheet for municipalities that includes information about Water Quality Improvement Project funding and also produced a video depicting the importance of salt reduction as well as releasing a podcast episode called Don’t Be Salty New York, available on the DEC’s website.

In August 2025, the state’s Department of Transportation announced a statewide expansion of its road-salt management pilot program for the 2025-26 snow and ice season. Efforts include enhanced training for snowplow operators, direct liquid applications in place of road salt, continuous evaluation of innovative equipment, and use of best management practices for reducing road salt.

Direct liquid application this winter has been expanded to state roads in Schoharie and Rensselaer counties.

As a result of the new initiatives, the statewide average application rate for granular salt was reduced to 172 pounds per lane-mile during the 2024-25 snow and ice season, down from the seven-year statewide average application rate of 194 pounds per-lane-mile, the DEC said in its recent release.

“For more than a decade we have been working to minimize road salt use as much as possible and the results speak for themselves,” said DOT Commissioner Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez in the release. “Now, it’s time to expand the battle. We encourage everyone to implement judicious salt management practices that minimize salt use while still maintaining safety. A less salty winter will mean a greener, healthier future for us all.”

Adverse effects

The DEC lists these adverse effects of rock salt overuse:

— Rock salt can run off into surface waters through snow melt and stormwater or leach into groundwater;

— Excessive rock salt in surface water can cause stress to, or kill, fish and other aquatic organisms;

— Rock salt washed off surfaces will accumulate in soils, which can kill vegetation or deplete plants of nutrients. Eventually, non-native salt-tolerant vegetation could move in and disrupt ecosystems;

— Salty roads attract animals like deer and moose (who love licking up the salt), increasing the probability of accidents and roadkill;

— The presence of sodium in drinking water is problematic for individuals with low-salt or limited-salt dietary restrictions. People on a sodium-restricted diet can experience health risks when exposed to elevated levels of sodium in their drinking water;

— Rock salt has corrosive properties that can corrode metals, including lead, copper, iron, and steel, from pipes and other infrastructure;

— These corrosive effects also impact cars, trucks, bridges, and roads resulting in approximately $5 billion dollars in annual repairs in the United States alone; and

— Households using private wells and small unregulated water systems are at the greatest risk of negative impacts from corrosion. Regulated public water systems sample for lead and copper and reduce corrosion if required.

Advice

The DEC encourages New Yorkers to use these best practices to save money, reduce rock salt pollution, and stay safe:

— Use rock salt sparingly

Shovel first, if possible, to clear snow and ice before applying rock salt. The less snow and ice there is to melt, the less rock salt is needed. Then, apply rock salt strategically. A 12-ounce cup full of rock salt is enough to treat 250 square feet, a 20-foot single car driveway, or approximately 10 standard sidewalk squares.

Apply rock salt only where it is needed most, such as walkways, driveways, and steps, using a spreader to evenly distribute salt. Avoid piling it in one area, as this can lead to more salt runoff;

— Monitor weather conditions

Rock salt loses effectiveness below 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Sand can be used for traction on ice during a cold snap (and can be swept up in the spring for reusing) or switch to a deicer made for colder temperatures.

If a snow or ice storm is predicted, consider pre-treating surfaces with rock salt to prevent ice from forming; and

— Consider using alternative products

You can make your own brine solution at home by combining 3.5 cups of rock salt per gallon of hot tap water and stirring until all salt is dissolved. Let any gravel settle to the bottom. Pour the brine into a regular garden sprayer and spray in a zig-zag pattern over the desired area. Save extra brine to use later.

Use products from the GreenNY specifications listed on the DEC website.