POLK COUNTY, Wisconsin (WXOW)- In an effort to keep the ice off the roads, the Polk County Highway Department has come up with an interesting solution.
Since 2009, the county has used cheese brine as a de-icer on slick roads instead of the usual magnesium chloride.
The brine is an environmentally-friendly leftover from the cheese making process, and does not freeze until the temperature reaches 21 degrees below zero. The brine is supplied by F & A Dairy, which would have to find other means of disposing of or recycling the brine.
Salt trucks spread 30% less road salt when using this cheese brine, saving the county tens of thousands of dollars.
