As drifts from the recent snow storm melt in a welcome thaw, Elmhurst city staff members are catching their breath from that hectic week and looking ahead to next year.
According to Public Works Director Mike Hughes, the city has gone through about 3,500 tons of salt to combat the 53 inches of snow that has fallen in the area this winter.
“We think we're going to end up with almost nothing left this year,” he told the Public Works and Building Committee on Monday. He said he and his staff don't know how much this year's winter cleanup will cost the city, but plowing and other weather-related costs have had them “blowing through” their snow-removal budget.
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City Manager Tom Borchert said at a Feb. 7 City Council meeting that preliminary estimates for cleanup are $250,000. If damages for DuPage County hit the $3 million mark, the city might be eligible for federal disaster assistance, he said.
The nine water main breaks that plagued the city–five in the first 24 hours of the blizzard–slowed down efforts to plow streets and took the city's two biggest trucks away from moving snow, Hughes said.
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This winter is not yet over, but Hughes is already planning for next year. The committee Monday approved the purchase of 5,000 tons of salt at a price of $66.61 per ton. This cost could change because Elmhurst is part of the state bidding process for salt, he said.
Hughes was asked about alternatives to salt, including beet juice. He explained that the city uses an effective mixture of sodium chloride and calcium chloride that is watered before it hits the road. Beet juice is very hard to pump correctly, and when calculating the chemistry of ice-melting substances, even minute changes in the sizes of droplets can make a difference.
Hughes added that if the city is low on salt, crews cut it with sand to make it last longer.
