In recognition of World Water Day, Montgomery County's Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is keeping the momentum going with its "Sweep the Salt" pilot program, which is geared towards curtailing the effects of excessive road salt on the environment, as per a recent announcement detailed in a press release. The program, mainly targeting sensitive watershed areas, entails street sweepers efficiently gathering up salt and debris left from winter maintenance activities, thus helping to prevent potential pollution of local waterways.
According to Montgomery County, an event in Wheaton will celebrate World Water Day on Saturday, spotlighting the County's broader initiatives for environmental conservation. The MCDOT regularly conducts road salt cleanups upon request and provides county-wide street sweeping in the spring. In contrast, the Sweep the Salt program is specifically activated for post-winter storms when salt accumulation on the roadsides is generally at its peak. Residents can report excessive salt scatterings on Montgomery County thoroughfares to the local call center by dialing 3-1-1 or contacting 240-777-0311, whereupon the calls will be relayed to the necessary department, whether it be MCDOT for county roads, the Maryland Department of Transportation for state roads, or other relevant bodies for county managed properties.
Marc Elrich, the Montgomery County Executive, stressed in the county's press release the balance between the necessity of road salt for safe winter travel and the imperative of minimizing its ecological aftermath, stating, “Road salt is essential to keeping our roadways safe during winter events, but it is important for public health that we work to reduce the amount of road salt that flows into local waterways.” Elrich also emphasized the near-impossibility of extracting salt once it enters our water and encouraged community participation.
The program's efficacy is noteworthy, as the MCDOT reported a collection of nearly 100,000 pounds of road salt and debris from critical watershed areas in just two weeks following February's winter storm. This post-winter-storm cleanup zeroes in on Special Protection Areas as designated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). These areas can be identified on MCDOT's Division of Highway Services street sweeping map by their purple color. Due to the initial program success and positive feedback from the community, the MCDOT Director, Chris Conklin, affirmed the program’s continuation for the next year.
