{"id":80,"date":"2018-11-15T19:33:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T00:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/firstsnow-reminder-protect-your-pipes\/"},"modified":"2022-12-03T11:48:04","modified_gmt":"2022-12-03T16:48:04","slug":"firstsnow-reminder-protect-your-pipes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/firstsnow-reminder-protect-your-pipes\/","title":{"rendered":"Use salt and other ice-melts the right way!"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4><big>Before filling your cart with\u00a0ice-and-snow-fighting supplies, <strong>read this:<\/strong><\/big><\/h4>\n<div class=\"caption\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"illustration of a snow shovel leaning up against an open bag of deicer labeled Environmentaly Friendly SNOW MELT with CMA\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/are-you-using-safe-deicer.PNG\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Some options for melting ice on sidewalks are safer for pets and rivers than others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"big\">When the forecast calls for snow and ice, we often turn to salt or other chemicals to help keep sidewalks and streets safe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>While this important public safety measure saves lives on our roadways every year<\/strong>, it&#39;s important to know that all deicers can be harmful to our <strong>water supply<\/strong>, the environment, your garden, sidewalks, <strong>and even pets<\/strong> when <strong>overused<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The best strategy: read the labels and use as directed <strong>only when it&#39;s truly needed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>High concentrations of salt can damage and kill vegetation and harm freshwater ecosystems and fish. Excess salt can also seep into the ground and destroy soil structure, which can lead to erosion and further pollute waterways.<\/p>\n<p>And, those heaps of caustic rock salt on sidewalks can also irritate sensitive paws, making a winter wonderland walk post-snowstorm much less fun for dogs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed\">\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BRnjiNYlDRe\/?utm_source=ig_embed&#038;utm_medium=loading&#038;utm_campaign=embed_loading_state_script\" data-instgrm-version=\"10\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:16px;\">\n<div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\" display:block; height:60px; margin:0 auto 16px; width:210px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BRnjiNYlDRe\/?utm_source=ig_embed&#038;utm_medium=loading&#038;utm_campaign=embed_loading_state_script\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><svg version=\"1\" viewbox=\"0 0 840 300\" width=\"210\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M65 49c-16 7-34 26-40 50-7 31 23 44 25 39 3-5-5-6-7-22-2-21 7-43 19-53 3-2 2 0 2 5v102c0 21-1 28-3 35-1 7-4 11-2 13s12-3 17-10c7-9 9-20 10-32v-51-68c0-5-14-11-21-8m575 102c0 11-3 20-6 26-6 12-18 16-23-1-3-10-4-26-1-39 2-13 8-23 17-22 10 0 14 13 13 36zm-162 70c0 19-3 35-9 40-9 7-21 1-19-12 2-12 13-25 28-40v12zm-2-70c-1 10-4 20-6 26-6 12-19 16-24-1-4-12-3-28-1-37 2-13 8-24 18-24 9 0 14 10 13 36zm-94-1c-1 11-3 20-6 27-7 12-19 16-24-1-4-13-3-30-1-39 2-14 8-23 18-22 9 0 14 13 13 35zm430 13c-2 0-3 3-4 7-3 14-6 17-10 17-5 0-9-7-10-21v-52c0-4-1-8-12-12-5-2-12-4-15 4a209 209 0 0 0-15 50c-1-6-2-17-2-41-1-4-1-8-7-11-3-2-13-6-16-2s-7 13-11 25l-5 15v-34c0-4-2-5-3-5l-12-3c-4 0-5 2-5 5v58c-2 11-8 25-15 25s-10-6-10-33l1-34v-13c0-3-6-5-9-5l-7-1c-2 0-4 2-4 4v4c-4-6-10-9-13-10-10-3-21-1-29 10-6 9-10 19-11 33-2 11-1 22 1 31-3 10-7 14-12 14-7 0-12-11-11-31 0-13 3-22 6-35 1-6 0-8-3-11-2-3-7-4-13-3l-19 4 1-4c2-15-14-14-19-9-3 3-5 6-6 12-1 9 7 13 7 13a139 139 0 0 1-24 51 1390 1390 0 0 1 0-54l1-12c0-3-2-4-5-5l-9-2c-5-1-7 2-7 4v4c-4-6-9-9-13-10-10-3-21-1-29 10-6 9-10 21-11 33v29c-1 8-6 16-11 16-7 0-10-6-10-33v-34l1-13c0-3-6-5-9-5l-8-1c-2 0-4 2-4 4v4c-4-6-9-9-13-10-10-3-20-1-28 10-6 7-10 15-12 33l-1 15c-2 12-11 27-19 27-4 0-8-9-8-27l1-62h27c3 0 6-12 3-13l-16-1-13-1 1-25c0-2-3-4-4-4l-11-3c-5-1-8 0-8 4l-1 27-21-1c-4 0-8 16-3 16l23 1-1 46v3c-3 19-16 29-16 29 3-12-3-22-13-30l-20-15s5-4 9-14c3-7 3-14-4-16-12-3-22 6-25 16-3 7-2 13 3 18l1 2-10 18c-9 15-15 28-21 28-4 0-4-13-4-24l2-41c0-5-3-8-7-11-3-2-8-5-11-5-5 0-19 1-33 39l-5 14 1-46-2-3c-2-1-8-4-14-4-2 0-3 1-3 4l-1 72 1 15 2 6 5 3c2 0 12 2 13-2 0-5 0-10 6-30 8-30 20-45 25-50h2l-2 38c-1 37 6 44 16 44 7 0 18-7 29-26l19-32 11 11c9 8 12 16 10 24-2 6-7 12-17 6l-7-5h-6c-3 3-6 6-7 11-1 4 3 6 8 8 4 2 12 3 17 4 21 0 37-10 49-38 2 24 11 37 26 37 10 0 20-13 25-26 1 6 3 10 6 14 11 19 34 15 46-1l4-7c1 15 13 20 20 20 8 0 16-3 21-16l3 4c11 19 34 15 46-1l1-2v10l-10 9c-18 16-31 29-32 43-2 18 13 25 24 26 12 1 22-6 29-15 5-8 9-25 9-43l-1-25a200 200 0 0 0 38-66h14c2 0 2 0 2 2s-9 34-1 55c5 15 17 19 24 19 8 0 16-6 20-15l1 3c12 19 35 15 46-1l4-7c3 16 15 20 22 20s14-3 19-16l1 12 4 3c7 2 13 1 16 1 2-1 3-2 3-6 1-9 0-25 3-36 5-20 9-27 11-31 2-2 3-2 3 0l2 35c1 13 3 21 5 23 4 7 8 8 12 8 3 0 8-1 8-5 0-3 0-16 5-35 3-13 8-24 10-28a252 252 0 0 0 3 52c5 21 18 23 23 23 11 0 19-7 22-28 0-5-1-9-4-9\" fill=\"#262626\"><\/path><\/svg><\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BRnjiNYlDRe\/?utm_source=ig_embed&#038;utm_medium=loading&#038;utm_campaign=embed_loading_state_script\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View this post on Instagram<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BRnjiNYlDRe\/?utm_source=ig_embed&#038;utm_medium=loading&#038;utm_campaign=embed_loading_state_script\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Philadelphia Water Dept. (@phillyh2o)<\/a> on <time datetime=\"2017-03-14T12:10:50+00:00\" style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\">Mar 14, 2017 at 5:10am PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<h2>Use these winter deicing tips to help protect our watersheds \u2013 and your pets:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The first line of defense should always be shoveling sidewalks and pathways to keep them clear and prevent ice from forming. <strong>Salt and deicers are not effective when more than 3 inches of snow have accumulated.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Consider the temperature. Salt and calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) are <strong>much more effective at melting snow and ice at temperatures above 25 degrees<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Reduce salt and other chemicals by <strong>adding sand for traction<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>If you have to use them, focus your application of deicing products on <strong>high-traffic areas and slopes where traction is critical<\/strong>. By using the least amount necessary to get the job done, you save money and will minimize property damage to paved surfaces, vehicles and plants.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Have pets? You should consider using <strong>reduced amounts<\/strong> of traditional road salts or alternatives that are less harmful to paws. Keep these products out of reach of pets and children.<\/li>\n<li>Keep salt-laden snow piles at least 100 feet from creeks and floodplains, and never shovel snow over a storm drain inlet. If possible, dump snow in grassy areas where the melt can soak into the ground and the pollutants can filter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Remember:<\/strong> you can still effectively control ice and keep surfaces safe even with reduced usage of traditional road salt.<\/h3>\n<p>In addition, many safer alternatives can be found at local hardware stores.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout\">\n<h4>Check the Labels<\/h4>\n<p>Look for products containing potassium chloride, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride, corn processing byproducts, and\/or calcium magnesium acetate (CMA).<\/p>\n<p>These alternatives can be spread in a dry form or sprayed as a liquid and work best when used with salt. <strong>Together, they work more efficiently so you can use less.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Want to learn more about how snow removal and deicing impacts waterways?<\/p>\n<h5>Check out the Pa. Department\u00a0of Environmental\u00a0Protection&#39;s fact\u00a0sheet:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.depgreenport.state.pa.us\/elibrary\/PDFProvider.ashx?action=PDFStream&#038;docID=4089&#038;chksum=&#038;revision=0&#038;docName=ENVIRONMENTALLY+SOUND+SNOW+MANAGEMENT+AND+DISPOSAL.PDF+&#038;nativeExt=pdf&#038;PromptToSave=False&#038;Size=172351&#038;ViewerMode=2&#038;overlay=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Environmentally Sound Snow\u00a0Management<\/strong><\/a><\/h5>\n<h3>BONUS TIPS:<\/h3>\n<p><strong>When it snows:<\/strong> Make sure the curb stop in front of your home and hydrants on your block are clear and accessible when you shovel. If you end up with pipe that freezes and bursts on your property, we need to be able to quickly find the curb stop in order to shut off your water and prevent extensive flood damage.<\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"In case you need service: Make sure the curb your curb stop box is cleared and accessible when you shovel. The illustration shows the typical location of a Curb Stop Box (usually labeled W or Water) near where the path to your front door meets the sidewalk.\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/ClearCurbBox_161206.jpg\" \/><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 1rem 0;\"><strong>The same goes for hydrants:<\/strong> you don&#39;t want firefighters digging through snowdrifts to find a hydrant when they could be using that time to put out a fire.<\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Keep hydrants clear. This can save valuable time in the case of a fire! Keep storm drains clear. They prevent flooding when snow melts. (Illustration of a sidewalk with a firehydrant and storm drain shoveled clear of snow, with a smiley face and a thumbs up.)\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/static\/Facebook%20Album%20ClearSidewalks_160105-02.jpg\" \/><\/div>\n<h5>Prevent frozen and burst pipes:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/WinterTipsPHL\">Get more cold weather tips here!<\/a><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All deicers can be harmful to our water supply, the environment,\u00a0and even pets when overused. So, what to do?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"custom_css":"","custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[19,34,46,47,72,88,91,99,109],"class_list":["post-80","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-infrastructure","tag-cold-weather","tag-environmental-stewardship","tag-health","tag-home-maintenance","tag-pollution","tag-sourcewater-watershed-protection","tag-spokesdog","tag-tips-and-how-to","tag-water-quality","wpautop"],"acf":{"suggested":null},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/phila.gov\/blog\/firstsnow-reminder-protect-your-pipes\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Use salt and other ice-melts the right way!","url":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/firstsnow-reminder-protect-your-pipes\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/firstsnow-reminder-protect-your-pipes\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"Infrastructure","author":[],"creator":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"@PhillyH2O Blog","logo":""},"keywords":["cold weather","environmental stewardship","health","home maintenance","pollution","sourcewater\/watershed protection","spokesdog","tips and how-to","water quality"],"dateCreated":"2018-11-16T00:33:00Z","datePublished":"2018-11-16T00:33:00Z","dateModified":"2022-12-03T16:48:04Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Use salt and other ice-melts the right way!\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/water.phila.gov\\\/blog\\\/firstsnow-reminder-protect-your-pipes\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/water.phila.gov\\\/blog\\\/firstsnow-reminder-protect-your-pipes\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"\"},\"articleSection\":\"Infrastructure\",\"author\":[],\"creator\":[],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"@PhillyH2O Blog\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[\"cold weather\",\"environmental stewardship\",\"health\",\"home maintenance\",\"pollution\",\"sourcewater\\\/watershed protection\",\"spokesdog\",\"tips and how-to\",\"water quality\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2018-11-16T00:33:00Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-16T00:33:00Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-12-03T16:48:04Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/phila.gov\/p.js"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}