Painesville Township has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to purchase equipment to help it treat roads in the winter. Related Articles Local News | Lake County General Health District, City of Painesville install new inclusive swing set in park Local News | Season ends for Sunday outdoor crafts show in Mentor-on-the-Lake Local News | Ground broken at Osborne Park in Willoughby for re-imagination project Local News | Fairport Harbor will install new LED message sign in front of Village Hall Local News | Willoughby Police Department given award by FBI-LEEDA The township will use the funding for its purchase of a brine maker, 10,000-gallon storage tank and truck fill station, according to an Ohio EPA news release. Township Service Director Bill Thompson added that the equipment is in place for use this winter. He added that the township already uses brine during winter weather events. The new equipment will allow the township to make its own brine instead of purchasing it. “Residents should see the same service as in past years as far as road conditions during a storm, but the cost savings will come from not having to purchase salt brine,” Thompson said. He said that a brine maker works by mixing salt and water. One ton of salt can be used to make 870 gallons of brine, which is about how much brine the township uses in a day with moderate snowfall. The brine maker can make a total of 3,500 gallons in one hour. The equipment cost the township $122,000, Thompson added. The amount not covered by the $75,000 state grant came from the township’s road and bridge fund. In addition to making brine for its own use, he said that Painesville Township is currently working on an agreement with Painesville City that would allow the city to purchase brine and beet juice from the township. The Ohio EPA awarded the grant under the H2Ohio Rivers Chloride Reduction Grant Program. The news release said that the program aims to “reduce excessive road salt usage” and help agencies “adopt best salt management practices.” Funding can be used to purchase new salt equipment or build new storage facilities. “Recent water quality testing has shown that Ohio’s waterways are seeing an increase in salt concentrations, primarily due to the use of road salt,” stated the Ohio EPA news release. “Salt can also cause nutrients and metals to detach from sediment, decreasing water quality.” The release added that many drinking water facilities in Ohio use river water, and they need to use additional treatment for water that has been contaminated with road salt. Road salt can also contribute to corrosion in drinking water equipment and bridges, and it can reduce the lifespan of paved surfaces. Thompson said that the township uses a mixture of salt, salt brine and beet juice in its road treatment. This mixture reduces salt usage, and the beet juice helps the brine work at lower temperatures. “Treating the salt as it is applied to the road enhances the melting process and allows us to use less salt and still get the desired melting effect,” he added. “There is also a residual melting effect from the salt brine on the pavement which means less salt is needed as we continue to plow during a storm.” Thompson said that Painesville Township was one of 31 communities that received funding in its round of grant funding, out of 260 that applied. The state awarded a total of $1.7 million to 31 communities under the program’s first round and $2.7 million to 52 communities in the second round, according to the H2Ohio website. The service department’s website states that it clears snow from 215 roads in Painesville Township, 99 percent of which serve residential areas. Other roads in the township are maintained by the Ohio Department of Transportation or Lake County Engineer’s Office, and a full list of those roads can be found at painesvilletwp.com/service-department.