Reducing the dangers of road salt pollution: Speakers, experts, de-icing demonstration January 31, Gaithersburg, Md.
Media Advisory for January 31, 2026
Be aware of road salt pollution and reduce its dangers
Sidewalk salting demonstration, water testing and photo opportunities about keeping waterways clean
GAITHERSBURG, Md. —– The public and media are invited to attend an in-person event on January 31 to learn how to protect public health and the environment from the hazards of road salt. Salt keeps our roads and sidewalks safe during icy weather but using more than needed comes at a cost for our waterways, infrastructure and drinking water. Winter salt runs off the roads and becomes a permanent pollutant in our waterways. Only one teaspoon of salt permanently pollutes five gallons of water. (Visit www.saltwatch.org).
The event at the Izaak Walton League’s national headquarters in Gaithersburg will include expert speakers, live testing of a local waterway for salt pollution using Salt Watch kits, a sidewalk salting demonstration, and opportunities to connect with local organizations tabling during the event. The League encourages attendees to bring a water sample (from your drinking water or a local waterway) in a sealed container to test it for salt pollution.
Speakers include Watershed Restoration Planning Division Chief of Maryland Department of the Environment Greg Sandi; Montgomery County Water Restoration Division Chief Amy Stevens; and General Manager/CEO of WSSC Water Kishia Powell.
What: Winter Salt Week Open House
Who: Izaak Walton League of America and partners
When: Saturday, January 31, 2026,10am – 1pm EST
Where: Izaak Walton League of America Headquarters
707 Conservation Lane Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Data compiled by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin shows a 10-fold increase in chloride (a chemical released from the breakdown of winter salt) in the Potomac River at Great Falls over the past 80 years. Additionally, data collected over the last 30 years by WSSC Water shows a 41% increase in chloride (a component of winter salt) in the Potomac River and a 102% increase in chloride in the Patuxent River. The Maryland Department of the Environment has declared twenty-eight Maryland streams impaired by chloride.
Schedule
10:00 am – 11:30 am – Speakers
- Sam Puckett, Izaak Walton League of America Clean Water Program Director
- Laurie-Anne Sayles, Montgomery County Councilmember At-Large
- Amy Stevens, Montgomery County Water Restoration Division Chief
- Michael Nardolilli, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin’s Executive Director
- Kishia Powell, General Manager/CEO of WSSC Water
- Sarah Kogel-Smucker, Montgomery County Climate Change Officer
- Greg Sandi, Maryland Department of the Environment Watershed Restoration Planning Division Chief
- Jason Swope, Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council
- Ben Rhoades, Reston Association Watershed Manager
11:30am – 12:15 pm and 12:15pm – 1:00 pm – Salt Watch Monitoring
Test the Muddy Branch, the water quality monitoring site where the Izaak Walton League of America’s Salt Watch program began in 2018.
11:30am – 12:15 pm and 12:15pm – 1:00 pm – Sidewalk Salting Demonstration
Join Jason Swope of the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council in a demonstration on how to properly salt sidewalks and parking spaces during the winter. Jason is an instructor for the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Smart Salting Professional Training program.
Opportunities for photos, interviews
Volunteer water monitors, government officials, nonprofit groups and other stakeholders will be available for interviews and discussions about the dangers of excessive road salt.
Please register so that we can notify you in case of cancellation due to inclement weather.
National Winter Salt Week
This in-person event is part of a national event, Winter Salt Week, which runs from January 26-30, 2026. The Week is a collaboration of government and NGOs across the U.S. and Canada that aims to raise awareness about salt pollution and reduction solutions. An informed public can support the adoption of best practices in snow and ice control and advocate for the protection of freshwater resources.
Throughout the week, there will be livestreams from experts across the country and many entities will participate in water monitoring and awareness raising events throughout the week. To learn more about Winter Salt Week and register for livestreams, visit: www.wintersaltweek.org.
This event is hosted by the Izaak Walton League of America, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.
Media contacts
Michael Reinemer, Communications Director, Izaak Walton League, mreinemer@iwla.org
301-548-0150 ext 220.
Abby Hileman, Salt Watch Coordinator, Izaak Walton League, ahileman@iwla.org
301-548-0150 ext 228
Founded in 1922, the Izaak Walton League of America fights for clean air and water, healthy fish and wildlife habitat and conservation of our natural resources for future generations. The League plays a unique role in supporting community-based science and local conservation and has a long legacy of shaping sound national policy. See www.iwla.org.
Your kit will include a bottle containing 25 nitrate test strips which you can use to test your water source(s) throughout the year. You’ll also receive postcards explaining how to use your nitrate test strips and how to share your Nitrate Watch results on the Clean Water Hub.
Your kit will include four test strips so you can test your waterway throughout the season. You’ll also receive a chart to help you interpret your results and a postcard with instructions for completing a Salt Watch test and reporting your findings.