Road and Winter Maintenance
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Road maintenance
The Region and its seven local municipalities work together to ensure road maintenance is efficient. City crews sometimes work on regional roads while Regional teams provide service on city streets. From repairs and potholes to snow plowing and sweeping, crews work to keep roads in ideal condition.
To report a maintenance issue such as potholes email us or call 519-575-4400.
Potholes happen when water gets into small cracks in the road, then freezes and expands, making the cracks bigger. Then, when the ice melts, it leaves gaps under the road, making it weak. Vehicles driving over these weak spots cause the pavement to break apart, and a hole forms. Generally, we see an increase in potholes after winter weather and then subsequent warming of weather.
Snow removal
- Road and weather sensors provide operations staff monitoring road conditions with data to determine the appropriate course of action
- snow plow operators receive training on how weather events can affect road surfaces and best management practices for salt
- depending on weather and road conditions, some of the materials used may include:
- Direct Liquid Application involves spraying an anti-icing liquid on the road prior to a winter storm to prevent ice and frost from forming and sticking to the pavement. Anti-icing uses less salt and increases the effectiveness of plowing early in the storm.
- pre-wetted salt is dry road salt with winter liquid applied before it is spread on the road. This helps the salt stick to the road surface and speeds up the effectiveness of the salt to melt the ice and snow on the pavement.
- sand may be used on its own or in combination with salt to provide traction. Salt is less effective when temperatures fall below -12 Celsius.
- snow plows are equipped with:
- electronic spreader controls allow operator to set the rate of salt or sand for the conditions and ensure correct amounts are distributed
- infrared thermometers provide continuous, accurate road and air temperature readings to assist the operator in the effective use of salt
- Global Positioning System records the location of the snow plow and amount of salt applied. Operations staff can review the information to minimize the application of salt while achieving the required level of service.
- blade technology offers better snow plowing capabilities
- enclosed storage areas keep salt contained from outside exposure protecting the natural environment
- snow fences in strategic locations and establishing new hedgerows help reduce snow drifting on to roads, which generally leads to the need for less salt.
Salt management
How you can help keep salt out of groundwater
When everyone uses a little less, together we can make a difference.
- Residential properties: Snow and ice clearing tips
- Businesses and multi-residential properties: Beneficial practices and resources
- Service providers: Resources for your business and your clients
What you might not know about salt
- Environmentally friendly ice melters contain salt and are not water friendly
- Current water and wastewater treatment does not remove salt from water. Removing salt requires desalination, an expensive and energy intensive treatment.
- Salt (sodium chloride) does not work when colder than -10 C
What the Region of Waterloo is doing
- Balance winter road safety with the environmental impacts of salt to manage salt use on roads
- Hire Smart About Salt certified contractors for winter maintenance on properties
- Provide our staff with Smart About Salt training
- Monitor water quality of municipal drinking water sources
- Educate youth
- Work with property owners to improve salting practices including through Source Protection policies
- Support the Smart About Salt Council training and certification program
Why salt is a water quality concern
- Once salt is in the water, there is no easy fix to remove it
- Current water and wastewater treatment does not remove salt from the water
- Removing salt requires desalination which is extremely expensive and energy intensive
- Including desalination as part of the treatment process would also result in much higher water costs for the community
- The Ontario Drinking Water Objectives for chloride is 250 mg/L
- This is when a salty taste may be detectable by some people
- The Region of Waterloo must mix groundwater from different wells to lower the chloride levels
- Chloride levels from salt are increasing in groundwater wells
- The image below compares chloride levels in Region of Waterloo municipal groundwater wells between 1998 and 2018
- The orange and red dots are groundwater wells with chloride levels near or exceeding the 250 mg/L limit
