City of Novi using beet juice and brine mix for winter roads

The City of Novi has a new tool for preparing for winter storms: an eco-friendly combination.

NOVI (FOX 2), Mich.Even if there haven’t been any significant winter storms yet, the season is still relatively early.

The city of Novi is employing something you may already have in your refrigerator to ensure that the roads are as clear as possible.

A reddish-tinted liquid, primarily beet juice, can be seen behind city trucks.

“We found a natural product that works well as a binder to keep the liquid on the pavement,” Novi Public Works Director Jeff Herczeg said.

The calcium chloride, often known as brine, is combined with beet juice. As it happens, the mixture works well for pre-treating roads before a winter storm occurs.

According to Herczeg, “It’s two-fold,” “We can treat the salt coming out of the hoppers with just calcium chloride brine or we can mix it with beet juice and apply it to the roads directly – helps prevent the ice and snow from binding to the road.”

Additionally, the brine and beet juice combo is eco-friendly.

“It s not going to stain the vehicles, it is not going to stain the pavement – just like anything it rinses off a little bit,” he stated.

Furthermore, despite its effectiveness, it is not flawless.

“When temperatures dip below 20 it s really – nothing s effective,” he stated. For the most part, even salt finds it difficult to melt snow and ice.

“It s a common household product that turns out is great for winter maintenance.”

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