October 1, 2026
Each winter, hundreds of thousands of tons of road salt are applied across New York to maintain safe roadways. These operations allow us all to get to work, school and go about our lives uninterrupted. While critical for public safety, excess salt has become a growing threat to freshwater ecosystems, drinking water supplies and infrastructure.
Recent research has shown that road salt use has tripled chloride levels in Lake George over the past 40 years. This increase in chloride poses threats to Lake George's ecosystem and drinking water. Furthermore, New York City’s water supply from the New Croton Reservoir has tripled in chloride levels over the past 30 years. If this trend continues, this reservoir could reach maximum contaminant levels and become undrinkable by 2108.
This is why the LGA is hosting the full-day 2026 New York State Salt Summit, presented by the Times Union, at the Crowne Plaza Albany - the Desmond Hotel by IHG on October 8th, one week from today!
This landmark event will convene municipal, scientific, community, and legislative experts alongside practitioners to address the growing issues of road salt pollution and overuse.
While using road salt to protect drivers in winter conditions may seem like a simple solution, there are different practices that reduce salt use, such as brine, that achieve the same results and protect freshwater resources. The Salt Summit will feature winter road management demonstrations, showcasing exciting technologies designed to limit road salt use.
Experts at the New York State Salt Summit will discuss best practices for how road salt can be used effectively and sustainably, while maintaining safe winter conditions. Agenda highlights include:
- The "From Science to Policy: Advancing Road Salt Solutions in New York" Session with Assembly Members Michael Cashman and Carrie Woerner.
- The "From Roads to Faucets: Road Salt and New York’s Drinking Water" Session featuring Riverkeeper's Shannon Roback, PhD, alongside Ty Fuller at Suffolk County Water Authority and Adam Bosch from NYCDEP.
- The "Adapting to New York’s Changing Winters" session with Climate Central's Zachary Labe, PhD, Paul Caiano, at WNYT NewsChannel 13 and Mark Shanaberger from trueWeather.
This is an important moment of reflection for New York State and it is not to be missed. Seats are limited and are filling up fast!
