What does the City of Vancouver use to treat the streets when the weather turns icy or snowy?
The City of Vancouver uses granular and liquid anti-icing solutions to improve driving conditions during severe winter weather. Sand is an option but likely to be used only in minimal amounts and in special situations. Q: What’s in the deicing solution? A: The primary ingredients in Vancouver’s anti-icing solutions are water and sodium chloride, which have been shown in recent testing to be both safe and effective. Q: Why use sodium chloride instead of sand and gravel, as was done in the past? A: The decision to use sodium chloride came about after careful consideration of our winter weather needs and history, and research conducted by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Washington State University. What we found is that by using sodium chloride in granular or liquid solution, the city will be able to reduce costs and be more effective in keeping roads open and improving winter driving conditions. Here’s why: With sodium chloride, unlike sand and gravel, there
