Q&A
Salt and brine usage during average snow events
0:16:04
·
116 sec
Acting Commissioner Lojan explains DSNY's salt usage during snow events and the factors that influence the amount used. He also discusses how quickly supplies are replenished after use.
- DSNY typically spreads about 20 million pounds (10,000 tons) of salt in one pass during an average snow event
- Salt usage can vary depending on specific weather conditions, such as the risk of icing
- The department may make multiple passes to retreat roads if conditions warrant
- Salt storage capacity is 350,000 tons, so a typical spreading operation uses less than 5% of total capacity
- Supplies are usually replenished within 72 hours after use
- DSNY has contracts with vendors to ensure prompt replenishment
- The operations office anticipates needs and sets up deliveries in advance of expected snow events
Shaun Abreu
0:16:04
Approximately, how much salt and brine is spread citywide during an average snow event?
Javier Lojan
0:16:10
So it's unique.
0:16:12
But generally, we spread about £20,000,000 in, of salt in one pass.
0:16:17
And and and why I say it's unique is, like, the snow event that we just had this weekend, we were really concerned with the icing conditions because it was gonna the temperatures were gonna drop really rapidly.
0:16:30
And to to to us, ice is a lot more dangerous than a foot of snow.
0:16:35
A foot of snow, you can manage, you can get through ice, you can get, you know, an eighth of an inch ice, and we're in big trouble.
0:16:41
So we we wanted to make sure we got ahead of it.
0:16:44
And even though we treated the roadways with 1 pass, we wanted to make sure we retreated it again on subsequent shifts.
0:16:49
So an example of how it could be unique, but generally £20,000,000 is is of salt is what we use for 1 pass.
Shaun Abreu
0:16:56
How much is that in tons again?
0:16:58
It's
Javier Lojan
0:16:59
about 10,000 tons.
0:17:00
10,000 tons.
Shaun Abreu
0:17:00
Yeah.
0:17:00
And the entire storage is about 300
Javier Lojan
0:17:03
and 350,000.
Shaun Abreu
0:17:04
350,000 tons.
0:17:05
So that's not less than 5% of it.
0:17:10
Yeah.
0:17:10
Less than 5% of the entire storage.
0:17:13
How quickly is you mentioned earlier that anytime that salt is taking away from its capacity, how quickly is it replenished, including also brine?
Javier Lojan
0:17:25
Right.
0:17:26
I would say, you know, anywhere I mean, they're pretty good at replenishing it.
0:17:30
I would say anywhere up to, like, 72 hours usually.
0:17:33
Yeah.
0:17:34
They're they're pretty good.
0:17:35
You know?
0:17:36
We have really good contracts with the vendors our operation office does.
0:17:39
So our operations office does a really good job of kind of for not not forecasting, but if we know we're gonna go into an event where it the hot the probability of us actually spreading salt is high, they will kinda say, alright.
0:17:51
We're expecting a snow event.
0:17:53
We're we're gonna use also.
0:17:54
They start setting up the deliveries ahead of time.
0:17:57
So it's not like we wait until the storm's over to start getting the delivery set up.