Winter Weather Takes Toll On Salt Supply For Schools, Businesses, City, County
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Heavy snow and icy conditions have taken a toll on the salt supply for local schools, businesses, the city and county.
Warsaw Community Schools completely ran out of road salt it uses for its parking lots two weeks ago and is extremely low on salt for sidewalks at the school, according to Greg Schroeder, director of buildings and grounds for Warsaw Community Schools."This is the first winter we have had a shortage of salt for roads and sidewalks at the schools," Schroeder said.
He said the schools this winter have used more than 2-1/2 times the amount of salt it normally uses to salt the schools' sidewalks and parking lots.
He said the school corporation will not order any more salt for the schools' parking lots because it is too late in the season to order any more. He said there is enough salt for sidewalks for three more snow events if the school corporation conserves the salt.
"We typically salt every square inch of our sidewalks, but with the salt shortage, we have tried to conserve by salting main entrances to the schools and where students load and unload from buses," Schroeder said.
He said the school corporation is advising students, faculty and visitors to use caution when visiting school buildings during the school day and after-school hours for activities as the roads and sidewalks at the schools could be slippery.
Local business owners said they have seen steady sales in salt this winter.
Dave Snodgress, assistant manager for Big R, Warsaw, said the store had a shortage of salt last month.
"We had a shortage of salt last month, but we have gotten our supply replenished, and if the weather continues it will be a matter of supply and demand," Snodgress said.
He said the store sells water softener and sidewalk salt, and ran out of one of the brands of sidewalk salt last month and had to order more.
Jim Maze, owner of Ace-Hardware on Center Street, said the store has seen an increase in sales this winter of salt for driveways and sidewalks. He said the store has enough salt for two to three more snowstorms and will continue to assess the weather and needed supply.
Warsaw Street Superintendent Lacy Francis said the city has had a shortage of salt since the beginning of the month.
"We have been trying to use the salt we do have sparingly and have enough salt for roads for two to three more snowstorms," Francis said.
He said the city's salt supply is drastically down compared to this time last year. If the city runs out of salt, it might have to mix sand with a beet juice solution.
He said the city advertised for 1,500 tons of salt, and has used 10 percent more salt than what was originally bid out and will not be allowed to receive any more salt this winter.
Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent Dennis Pletcher said previously this week in a Feb. 27 Times-Union article that the Kosciusko County Highway Department used half of the salt purchase for this winter in December and is dealing with a salt shortage.
