Elgin's ready for winter's worst

As the days get shorter and colder temperatures invade, what usually follows is the reality of winter in the Midwest: snow.

And in Elgin, the city's public works department has snow removal down to a science.

This season will be the first time trucks will spread the city's streets with a homemade mixture that's cheaper to make than buy, said Dave Lawry, the city's public services director.

And with 4 to 7 inches expected this weekend, they'll get a good chance quick to see how well it works.

Already, the city has been making the liquid GeoMelt mixture a combination of salt brine, beet juice and calcium chloride in preparation for the winter months.

The city's two mixing tanks can produce 50,000 gallons of the mixture in a week, though it only uses 40,000 gallons all season, Lawry told the city council this week.

Buying the mixture previously cost the city $1.85 per gallon, but making it in house costs 25 cents a gallon, Lawry said.

It amounts to an annual savings of about $265,000, he said.

Making the mixture has also meant the city has saved on the amount of salt it needs. It uses about 7,500 tons of salt every year, but has 14,000 tons on hand between three salt domes throughout the city, Lawry said.

Plans to build a fourth storage location on Brandt Drive have been put on hold until the economy improves, City Administrator Sean Stegall said.

He also said the city has had preliminary discussions with South Elgin to share a possible fifth facility on their shared border.

Elgin has already begun spraying the anti-icing liquid in targeted areas, such as hills and bridges, where driving conditions can be hazardous.

There are now 16 snow routes that trucks follow on residential streets and four larger “super” routes for main roads. Previously, there were 19 residential and three “super” routes.

Lawry said he doesn't expect any reduction in service with the consolidation.

A total of 51 trucks are ready to roll.