Encouraging innovative projects to reduce salt in the sewer system
Removing chloride, a component of salt, from wastewater is costly and energy intensive. But to protect our freshwater resources, we need to reduce the amount of chloride in our water as much as possible. While the District could add expensive chloride reduction technology at the treatment plant, a more cost-effective approach is reducing the amount of chloride getting into the system in the first place. To support local salt reduction, the District offers chloride reduction grants and funding to incentivized projects that advance our chloride reduction goals.
If you have questions about these programs, would like to request an application, or need a program reporting form, contact our Pollution Prevention team.
Commercial & Industrial Water Softener Rebate
These C&I water softener rebates are intended for commercial, industrial or multi-unit residential facilities serving three or more units to implement projects that reduce salt in water softeners in their facilities.
Road salt reduction grants
Road Salt Reduction Grants for winter maintenance professionals were offered from 2015 to 2025. The purpose of these grants was to build leaders in water quality protection by utilizing best practices that reduce road salt use. Success stories were featured on the District blog in these case studies.
This grant will not be offered again in winter 2025–26. From the outset, the Road Salt Reduction Equipment Grant was designed to support winter maintenance professionals in trying new tools and techniques to reduce salt use. Over the past 10 years, we’ve seen that goal fulfilled and more. Grant recipients have become some of the best ambassadors for smarter salt use, sharing their experiences at WI Salt Wise trainings and demonstrating how different equipment can save both money and salt. Today, for example, brine use, which was once an emerging technology, is increasingly mainstream, and companies have shown that these investments make business sense on their own. As this program comes to an end, and the District no longer funds general equipment purchases, the District will continue supporting the next wave of innovation in salt reduction through the Chloride Innovation Grant. This program encourages and supports novel or pioneering ideas.
Chloride reduction innovation grants
The goal of these grants is to incentivize innovative projects that result in changes to business practices, behaviors and norms that facilitate permanent reductions of chloride to the sewer system. The District will consider applications as they are received, as long as District funding is available.
Read “Chloride reduction grant expands reach of Efficiency Navigator program,” “Project Home partnership seeks new path to reduce chloride” or “Chloride reduction grant awarded to Forest Products Lab for brine innovation” for examples of past grant awardees and their efforts to reduce chloride reaching the region’s surface waters.
