by Dennis Dalman
So far this season, Sartell Public Works Director John Kothenbeutel figures he’s purchased $75,000 less for road salt than last year.
That’s because of an innovative program adopted last year in Sartell called “Pre-Treating.” By mixing road salt with water (a 23-percent solution of salt to water), the public-works employees can spray the solution onto streets, which prevents snow from sticking to the asphalt. Then plows can more easily and effectively remove the snow that does accumulate later.
Kothenbeutel said the pre-treating process uses about one-fourth less salt than in years where plain salt (without water) was applied to roadways.
This year, the Pre-Treating program earned for Sartell a City of Excellence Award from the League of Minnesota Cites, which praised Kothenbeutel and the public-works department for their pre-treat work.
In an interview with the Newsleader, Kothenbeutel explained how it works:
The salt-and-water solution is mixed in two giant tanks in a shop of the public-works department. One tank holds 2,500 gallons, the other 1,500 gallons. Batches of the solution is put in the tanks of truck sprayers, ready to hit the roads.
Kothenbeutel, not surprisingly, keeps his ears and eyes constantly attuned to weather forecasts. When temperatures drop to the low 10s, usually starting in November, workers will do the pre-treatment, hopefully shortly before a heavy snow arrives. It’s done, usually about once a week, in fall and sometimes again in early spring.
The pre-treatment is done mainly just on heavily travelled main roads, bridges and hilly roads in Sartell, he noted. Sometimes, the workers have time and opportunity to do also busy roads in neighborhoods.
Plowing, hydrants
Kothenbeutel, at the Dec. 13 city-council meeting, said he has received calls about why streets were not plowed after a recent snowfall. It’s because the streets are generally not plowed until there is an accumulation of three inches of snow or more, he told the council.
During the interview with the Newsleader, Kothenbeutel said it would be ideal if all residents would shovel snow away from nearby fire hydrants so that firefighters have a quick and easy access to them in emergencies. Sartell does have an “Adopt a Hydrant” program, but it’s informal and volunteer-dependent. For more on the program, see the city’s website.
contributed photo
Sartell Public Works Director John Kothenbuetel
