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Latest News & Announcements12.7.18 Public Works Salt Brining Today We received a great question from a resident this week, and we're sharing our response publicly because chances are there are more people wondering the same thing. The question was, "Why is our department salt brining when the forecast looks dry? And is it a good use of funds?" Our Director of Public Works Jim Link explains: "There is a small possibility for weather to hit Saturday. Granted the percentage has gone down in the last few forecasts, but it's not totally out of the picture. Plus we always have storms that change track when we least expect it. And you also have to remember local TV stations and some weather apps broadcast for full regions and not just Ballwin. So let's break down an example of using 4 guys on regular time putting down 14 tons of salt to cover the city (brining in anticipation of weather) versus 14 guys using 96 tons of salt on overtime (salting in response to weather). The cost is about $1050 for salt and employees are paid on regular time vs approximately $7200 in salt and an additional $3528 in overtime for a total of $10,728. So there's a big difference. Also salt brine will stay on the road for 30+ days as long as it's dry, where rock salt will be pushed to the curbs with traffic. Another factor is temperatures will be below 32 degrees overnight at least until Tuesday, December 11." In this industry there is never a guarantee when weather will hit, but we've learned over the years it's much better to over prepare than under prepare. Please don't hesitate to submit your questions, we love talking all things public works!
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