$25K Grant to Help Edina Fund New Automated Brine System

Edina's Public Works Department recently received a $25,000 grant through the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District to help purchase an automated brine system designed to combat winter weather.

The brine system—alongside two additional tanks to work with its existing brinemaker—can be used to wet the salt used in plow trucks to help them break down the salt and reduce waste. Doing so also helps the salt stick to roadways, according to city officials.

Public Works Director Brian Olson said the technology helps with "the minimization of salt use in the environment and decreasing the amount of salt the City has to use in keeping our roads dry."

Currently, the City of Edina's 500-gallon brinemaker is not capable of providing enough brine for the fleet of 23 plow trucks, which creates delays in the filling process. Only one truck can be filled at a time, so some plows are then unable to wait for and use the brine.

The new brine system will cost the City of Edina slightly more than $45,300, with the grant offsetting more than half of that figure. The remaining $20,000 expense is expected to be saved through the use of the new system, which will then be covered by the Public Works Department's salt budget.

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