The City of Elyria is on the path to becoming a little more eco-friendly with the aid of a $60,536 grant. The grant aims to tackle the town's winter woes without further compromising its waterways. The Ohio EPA is footing the bill for a new brine-making machine—courtesy of their H2Ohio Rivers Chloride Reduction Grant Program—poised to diminish Elyria's reliance on traditional road salt.

"We're thrilled to receive this award," Elyria Mayor Kevin Brubaker expressed in a statement detailed by the City of Elyria. He went on to say, "This machine will allow us to make our own brine in-house, which is more cost-effective and better for our waterways." Not failing to acknowledge his team, the mayor tipped his hat to those responsible for securing the nod from grant writers at McCauley and Company.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine originally announced the distribution of $2.7 million across 52 communities on August 1, highlighting it as part of an effort to curb excessive road salt use and encourage the adoption of best management practices. Ohio's water quality could use the help. Increasing chloride levels have become a real issue, with road salt runoff enticing unwelcome pollutants into the state's rivers and, by extension, drinking water supplies.

Not to mention, the City of Elyria's ingenuity resonates with the wider public health consequences—road salt not only degrades water quality but also corrodes essential infrastructure like pipes and bridges. The City is steadfast in its commitment to improving salt management and reducing salt content in riverways, as evidenced by its readiness to embrace the grant and what it entails.