HAMBURG TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — All across metro Detroit, the shortage of rock salt is driving up demand and leaving businesses and homeowners frustrated.
Some communities say they’ve been forced to explore other options like sand. With this deep freeze still underway, I talked with those making changes to stay a step ahead of an ongoing shortage.
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“The pet-friendly stuff is used more commonly,” one worker at Hamburg True Value Hardware said.
Moving salt is a major task, and I helped workers at the hardware store replace stock.
Jessie Krug told me keeping up with a major wave of demand has required thinking outside the box and consistent effort due to harsh conditions all season. She says the store uses different suppliers.
“We try to reach out to wherever we can get it. So yeah, they think fast on their feet and they’re always calling and asking questions, ‘hey, do you have salt? Do you have it ahead?’” Krug said.
In downtown Brighton, I also met up with coffee shop owner Amy McEwen, who says this winter, she’s had to get creative when salt has been sold out. From her shop to her home, she says with less or no availability, she’s tried out other products to provide some sort of traction.
“At my house, I have a driveway that’s like this (steep). So, I used bath salts, I used table salt when I run out of salt. And then, I just stocked up on softener salt because it works great,” McEwen said.
Taking a deeper dive, I also met up with Brighton City Manager Gretchen Gomolka, who say her city is communicating on social media to update folks on what’s happening. When I visited their salt barn, I saw firsthand what their shortage looks like.
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Fortunately, her public works department is carrying out an effective strategy: prioritizing major intersections, school bus routes, hills and high-risk areas.
“The biggest challenge is we have an amount that we are set to order from our vendor and we cannot get that salt. We ask for it and there’s just delays. Some, smaller loads are coming in to communities, but not the full loads that they need,” Gomolka said. “So what we are considering is mixing salt and sand together to make more efficient use of salt that we do have.”
Back at the hardware store, the idea of spreading out options is also being put to use, along with a dash of patience.
I also checked in with county road commissions in Oakland and Wayne counties. Both told me they’ve now used most or all of what’s typically put out during an entire season, but they too are being strategic and managing the situation.
