Smart Salt Use for Businesses May 30, 2018 Takeaways Why too much - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Smart Salt Use for Businesses May 30, 2018

Takeaways • Why too much salt is a problem • How you can reduce salt use in your facilities • What funding is available for salt reduction projects at your business • Q&A and Networking: Meet with water treatment experts for assistance and recommendations

Salt Pollution Overview Why is too much salt a problem?

Salty Numbers • 225,000 • Average pounds of salt that reach the district’s treatment plant each day • 80 million • Total pounds of salt that reach the treatment plant in a year • 60 million • Pounds of salt applied to Dane County roads

Where salt ends up

Chloride pollution • Affects freshwater aquatic life • Disrupts ecosystems • Interferes with lake mixing

Wisconsin Chloride Standard • 395 mg/L on weekly average • Wastewater plants required to meet this limit

Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District • Regional, serving 30 communities • Public municipal entity funded by sewer rates

Nine Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant treats 40 million gallons per day

Treatment process removes solids, nutrients, pathogens – but not chloride

Treated water returned to two streams

The district receives more salt than this pile each day.

Chloride sources to MMSD

Road salt • Most ends up directly in lakes, streams, and drinking water • Some enters district sewer system, causing peaks

Chloride on the rise in area waters Madison/Dane County Public Health, Road Salt Reports

Drinking water chloride levels 1995 2010 Madison/Dane County Public Health, Road Salt Reports

Treatment options exist, but are costly

Potential costs $2,500,000,000 $2,000,000,000 $1,500,000,000 $1,000,000,000 $500,000,000 $- 1A 1B 2A 2B 2C 3A 3B 3C Net Present Value

Costs of removing chloride would raise sewer bills by 55 to 500%

Alternative solutions exist • Chloride pollution can be prevented • Reducing chloride is much less expensive than removing it

A little salt reduced protects a lot of water 5 gallons 300 gallons 20,000 gallons 8,000,000 gallons

District reduction activities • Education/ outreach – Large salt users – General public – WI Salt Wise • Funding programs

Other partners working to reduce salt One Water Partnerships

Key points • Excessive chloride pollutes fresh water. • Wastewater treatment plants like the district are not designed to remove chloride, but are regulated for it. • Removing chloride from water is expensive. • Keeping chloride out of water is much less expensive and more comprehensive.

Reducing Salt Use Striking the balance with salt use and fresh water

Salt is useful, but often overused

Why is salt overused? • Inefficient equipment • Old or broken softener; improperly calibrated road salt applicators • Too-high settings or application rates • High salt dosage, assumed water use or hardness higher than actual • Fear of under-use • Concern about scale buildup • On road salt, liability is a concern

Salt adds up Bags of salt Pounds of Savings per Savings per Savings over saved per salt saved month year 3 years week per month 1 160 $24 $288 $864 3 480 $72 $864 $2,592 5 800 $120 $1,440 $4,320 10 1600 $240 $2,880 $8,640 15 2400 $360 $4,320 $12,960 *Assuming $6 per 40-pound bag of salt ($0.15 per pound)

Business benefits of reducing salt • Lower salt costs • Reduced labor • May help keep sewer bill low • Get ahead of potential regulation • Win for sustainability initiatives

Options for reducing softener salt use

1) Reduce soft water use • Examples: outdoor water, domestic water • Village of Paddock Lake stopped irrigating with soft water

2) Improve existing equipment • Optimization: lowering salt use settings • Brine reclaim: add-on technology • Sensors

Finding salt savings • Look at factors like: • Resin quality – resin analysis • Regeneration process – elution study • Salt dosage – can it be lowered? • Actual hardness of feed water • Reserve capacity – can it be reduced? • Changes in salt use over time • Has it been evaluated by a professional in the last five years?

3) Install higher efficiency equipment • Twin-tank systems • Minimum efficiency of 4000 grains per pound • District BMPs to installer • Evaluate salt-free technologies

Case Study: Best Western • Replaced old, malfunctioning softeners with new softeners with brine reclaim • Salt savings: Over 550 pounds per month

Case Study: Meriter Hospital • Replaced water softener pre- R.O. with chemical treatment • Salt savings: 4,261 pounds per month

Case Study: Hydrite • Installed brine reclaim and switched from soft- water-cooled to air- cooled boiler pump • Total salt savings: 3,843 pounds per month • Implemented elsewhere

Options for reducing road salt use

Unscientific salt application

Scientifically driven application

WI Salt Wise

1) Proper in-house salt use • Shovel, scatter, switch • Provide hand spreaders, salt measuring cups • Have staff attend training

Road salt training dates Aug 16 - parking lot/sidewalk Sept 18 - roads Sept 19 - parking lot/sidewalk Oct 19 - parking lot/sidewalk Free, at Lussier Center Anyone can attend Register at www.wisaltwise.com once posted

2) Hire certified applicator • www.wisaltwise.com • Certified applicators have been trained on proper salt application rates and practices

Case Study: Barnes, Inc. • Purchased brooms for snow removal; changed road salt practices • Saved $30,000 on sidewalk salt

Key points • Salt is easy to over-use, but using too much salt is a waste of a resource. • Salt savings can add up over time. • Many options exist to reduce indoor and outdoor salt use. • Local companies have seen success in salt reduction projects.

Funding for Salt Reduction Projects

District grant programs • Salt reduction rebates • For: projects to reduce salt use in existing systems • Chloride reduction innovation grants • For: projects that change business-as-usual approaches to salt • Road salt reduction grants • For: projects that reduce road salt application through equipment, changed practices, education

Salt reduction rebates • Designed for large industrial/commercial/ multi-unit facilities • Based on salt reduction achieved – higher award tiers for higher reductions

Rebate program numbers • Since 2015: – 46 rebate projects – 925 pounds of chloride reduced per day • Average award: $1200

Rebate eligibility • Apply BEFORE project takes place • Existing chloride-using system in use (i.e., can’t be used for new installations) • Located in MMSD service area • Project must be complete within 6 months of applying • Must be able to quantify salt reduction due to project

Example rebate project: MUHL • Brine reclaim on new softeners plus elution studies • Reduced salt ~25 tons/year • Savings: $4000 annually

Innovation grants Change the way that • salt/chloride is used in the community Possibilities include • widespread softener improvements, research, outreach, and more Flexible •

Example potential projects Increase efficiency • Research alternatives to salt • Reuse salt brine • Educate • Pilot projects • Pass-through rebate programs • Changing business-as-usual is key

Creative solutions: Lucky Building

Road salt grants

Road salt grant details • Up to 50% of capital investment • Typical $500-$12,000 ($50,000 total program) • Case study, quantify reductions, learn/test

Key points • Funding is available for projects that reduce indoor and outdoor salt use. • Up to $200,000 is available in 2018 for salt reduction grants. • Funding will not be available indefinitely, so take action now to reduce salt.

Looking ahead • Continued education • Future events (technical training) • Offering funding • Projects implemented today will help move toward goal for the future

More resources

Evaluations • Please fill out yellow evaluations before you leave. • Your input can help us evolve our programs and make them more helpful for local businesses.

Networking exhibitors Hellenbrand H-O-H • • Watertech USA HydroFLOW • • Culligan Total Water AirWater • • SaltCo WI Salt Wise • • Talk to a district staff person with questions, assistance on rebate and grant applications