We're over-salting sidewalks and pavement. Here's how to do it smarter.

It's ice season, when environmental advocates remind Minnesotans not to salt the sidewalk or driveway like a bucket of popcorn or a steak destined for the grill.

Doing so threatens freshwater and native species, can kill lawns and gardens and even make pets sick. Just a teaspoon of salt can permanently pollute 5 gallons of water.

The harm is not just to the natural environment — too much deicing salt can also damage vehicles, sidewalks, even stormwater infrastructure. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) estimates the financial impact of every ton of deicing salt is between $1,700 and $17,000.

That's why the Low Salt, No Salt Minnesota initiative is again spreading the word about the hazards of using too much sodium chloride, aka deicing salt. The initiative started as a collaboration between Hennepin County and local watershed organizations and now has a statewide reach that includes the MPCA.

Government agencies, from local road crews to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, have gotten the message and limited the salt they use. Often, that includes brining streets before a storm and only spreading salt when it's effective.

But residents, churches and many businesses still pour on the salt.

"Chloride has been building up in our bodies of water and that is why it is getting so much more attention over the last decade or so," said Grace Barcelow, a conservation specialist with Hennepin County and the West Metro Water Alliance. "Once it gets in there, it is a permanent pollutant and there is no feasible way to remove it."

Despite what manufacturers claim, there are no environmentally friendly deicing products, Barcelow said.

About 67 bodies of water in Minnesota already have dangerous levels of chloride and 75 more are nearing the danger zone, according to the MPCA. Salt also infiltrates groundwater, the source of most drinking water in the state.

Barcelow and her colleagues are not just on a public awareness campaign. State and local agencies offer free in-person consultations and training like the MPCA's "smart salting" seminars that will help participants reduce sodium chloride use by 30% to 70%.

This winter the West Metro Water Alliance is focusing on faith-based organizations, which are some of the biggest users of salt to melt ice in parking lots and on sidewalks so parishioners can make it to services.

John Daniels, a volunteer at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, signed up for a consultation to learn more about how to use less salt and better protect the environment. His church has a snow removal contractor, but Daniels helps make sure the sidewalks are clear on busy days.

"It makes a lot of sense to me," Daniels said of the information Barcelow and Rachel Dunlap, a MPCA GreenCorps member shared with him on a recent frigid morning. "We want to use best practices, whenever we can."

Some key takeaways from the consultation included how little salt is needed to melt ice — roughly one granule per 3 square inches, or about a coffee cup for 10 sidewalk squares.

Barcelow and Dunlap also noted that it is important to know the surface temperature of the ground because deicing products stop working when temperatures plummet. They recommend hiring a snow removal contractor who is "smart-salting certified."

A big reason churches and businesses with lots of foot traffic use excess salt is the fear of slip-and-fall lawsuits. State lawmakers have considered limiting the liability to those types of lawsuits if an organization is smart-salt certified, but so far the bills have not won approval.

"Slip and fall lawsuits are not as common as people think," Barcelow said. She expects legislation to again be considered at the Capitol this year.

Five winter salting tips

• Shovel as soon as possible after a snowfall; within 24 hours will help keep ice from building up.
• Use an ice scraper or chipper on trouble spots.
• Consider sand or grit for traction when it is too cold for deicers to work.
• Be careful where snow is piled to avoid melting and refreezing on walking paths.
• Limit the amount of salt put down, and sweep up the excess. It can be reused.