EnviroTech Journal

A well-prepared road department means the techs checked the deicing equipment top-to-bottom, replaced worn spreaders, blades, and replenished engine fluids. All ready to go, right? Wrong.

A good record-keeping system from the last couple of years can tell you a lot about the amount of product used, and the effectiveness of past applications and communication practices. Cost is also a big project to take on early to work with your suppliers like EnviroTech to gauge the cost of product and explore new products that may serve your needs better while being more cost-effective.

The first reports of snowfall and wintery mix weather are coming in, with a “potent winter storm” (9news.com) making its way across Colorado this evening.

Travel may be greatly affected as blizzard conditions develop. For those in charge of keeping our roadways safe, here are some game time dos and don’ts to be successful (while keeping your operation cost effective and efficient).

Staying ahead of Mother Nature is not exactly a game, but your organization can have a winning winter season if you take note of the following five must-have's for your operation. 

For those entities that use magnesium chloride as their deicing agent of choice, the timing of mag-chloride application is critical. For instance, magnesium chloride must not be applied before the early stages of a storm. The key is – the road surface has to be wet for the magnesium chloride to work effectively. Instead of applying the product pre-emptively, spend the time before the expected storm mobilizing so that the magnesium chloride can be applied as soon as the storm strikes and the roads are wet.

A big winter is expected throughout the United States and we at EnviroTech Services want you to get the most out of the products you need. Our goal is to provide superior snow melts that will get more out of your man-hours and save on your equipment wear and tear.

Snow is already falling in the mountains, and winter could be arriving sooner than expected given the recent weather patters. Now is the time to prepare, and creating a ‘Standard Operating Procedure’ (SOP) is a perfect place to start if you haven’t already. Keep in mind that your SOP should be specific to your business. You can start by choosing the product from EnviroTech Services that will work best for your needs – such as region, temperatures, and surfaces. However, there are many other factors and situations to keep in mind while you are planning.

If you are in charge of the deicing program for a university or hospital, you already know how important it is to keep busy walkways safely free of ice and snow. Hurrying students with arms full of books may not see a patch of ice in time to avoid it. Likewise, people on their way into a hospital probably have other things on their minds than watching out or slippery surfaces.

The unchanging drought situation in the Southern half of California has brought back the nightmare of dust-bowl conditions. At a recent presentation by the Association of California Water Agencies, climatologist Michael Anderson described the current situation in dire terms, saying, “You’re looking at numbers on par with what was the Dust Bowl.” California farmers have seen loses of more that $1.5 billion dollars due to lack of water, according to the L.A. Times.

Winter 2015: It’s supposed to be one for the books. The cause? A Super El Nino is expected, similar to the one last seen in the winter of 1997. This weather pattern means more moisture pulled up out of the Pacific Ocean and across the United States. Throw in the typical cold air flowing down from Canada, and you have the makings for a lot of snow and ice.

The winter of 2014-2015 was particularly harsh in the Northern and Midwestern United States. New York, Michigan, and Minnesota were among the hardest-hit, experiencing winters that ranked in their respective top 10 worst. The shortage of salt and the inevitable hike in price created dangerous conditions for motorists in the entire affected area. Having already experienced the difficulty of dealing with an aggressive winter and a low salt supply, the question begs answering: Will we see a salt shortage again in 2015?