WEST BOYLSTON, Mass. - Roadways, sidewalks and driveways are often treated with salt during winter storms.

The state's Department of Conservation and Recreation said the amount of salt put down has increased over time which has led to an increase in sodium chloride in the water flowing into reservoirs. The Division of Water Supply Protection said consistently high levels of salt can impact drinking water quality, treatment and distribution, lead to the erosion of pipes in people's homes and businesses, and is harmful to aquatic life. 

Head of Environmental Quality Jamie Carr said several ways to reduce salt application have been developed, and they're working with departments of public works, highway departments and the state's Department of Transportation to come up with creative solutions.

"What they're doing now is moving towards using salt brine as a pre-treatment and that’s really the best practice," said Carr. "It's salt that is dissolved in water in a 23% solution. If you’ve ever seen lines on the highway before a storm, you can put that down two or three days in advance of the storm, even. It will stick to the roadway, and that prevents the snow and ice from freezing to the road surface. That makes it a lot easier to plow and clear off of afterwards or shovel if you’re using it at home, and that makes for a lot less salt being used."

The Division of Water Supply Protection established a salt use reduction grant program for the seven towns in the Wachusett Reservoir Watershed to help with the purchase of new equipment to reduce the use of salt.