There’s a reason the streets have seemed clearer after this winter’s snowstorms, said Borough Administrator Jim Lampmann, and it comes in the form of the gallons upon gallons of brine that Butler is now spreading along its streets.
The saltwater solution is created in-house by a system built for under $4,000 out of an old pool filter and five 275-gallon totes bought from a company that used them for dyeing landscape mulch, Lampmann said.
The process is relatively simple: Over the course of an hour, water is shuttled back and forth between the units and eventually reaches the 23 to 25 percent salt content that has proved so effective at keeping the streets from freezing. From there, it’s loaded into a tank and spread on the town thoroughfares.
The brine has been particularly helpful during the recent spate of light snowstorms that last for several hours but end with little accumulation. Fewer salting crews are called in, he said, and the total amount of salt used has been cut by as much as 20 tons (the borough typically uses 50 to 80 tons during a typical weather event.)
"The big key we find is that it prevents the snow from hard-packing to the surface, so when you’re coming around and plowing, (the snow) breaks loose and you can push it," he said. "It really works out well."
The program, which has been used in other local towns like Pequannock for several years, is in its first year in the borough and has been considered a success.
Email: janoski@northjersey.com
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