In the midst of one of the busiest snow seasons in the past few years, Medford Township is looking to make changes in the way it handles winter storms.
At last week’s council meeting, Township Manager Chris Schultz talked about the purchase of brine equipment for next winter. He said many rural towns use brine as a way to combat snowstorms, and Medford should look into it as well. Schultz first brought up purchasing brine equipment at council’s first meeting of the year on Jan. 7.
Brining prior to a winter storm will help clear township roads, especially in residential areas. According to Schultz, the township’s snowplows clear the main and secondary roads before reaching developments and other residential areas. This order would change if brine is used for pre-treatment.
“The model we’re looking at is by brining and pre-treating in advance, we reverse our priority,” Schultz said.
What makes brine different than salt is it begins to work as soon as it hits the road. The brine can be put on the road up to 72 hours prior to a storm and acts as a layer between snow and the pavement. By keeping snow from freezing to the pavement, plows will later be able to push the accumulation off the road instead of leaving a frozen layer of snow and ice.
Township officials met with the state vendor about purchasing brine-making equipment. Schultz said the equipment can be purchased through the state vendor without going to bid. The total cost is expected to be about $100,000.
Right now, the township is looking for a place to locate the equipment. Schultz said it could be kept at the township’s utility plant rather than the public works yard because of its location near the county roads and an existing storm drain.
In addition to using brine, Schultz confirmed three other municipalities have been in contact and are interested in purchasing brine from the township. Schultz has also contacted Burlington County about using brine on county roads.
“Working with other towns on a regional approach, it’s smart and it’s not just this council’s policy but what the state wants to do,” Schultz said.
This winter has featured the first major snowstorms since Schultz took over as township manager in May 2011. He said Medford is looking at improving its snow removal service in other ways, as well. The township is expected to look at plow routes and possibly a snow emergency ordinance to improve efforts in the future.
“We want the community to know we’re not content with the service we’re providing,” Schultz said. “It’s a resourcing issue.”
A resolution to approve the purchase of brine equipment is expected to be on the agenda for council in the near future, but the equipment will not be ready for use until next winter.
