Sustainable Winter Management (SWiM

Sustainable Winter Management (SWiM®) Policy and proof case for keeping snow, ice, and your costs under control

By Phill Sexton

Cost control, risk management, cost more to implement, case studies 3) Prevent: Bonding of snow and rising expectations for have proven multiple economic and ice, waste, re-work, and safety sustainable practices, environmental benefits when SWiM incidents and near perfect conditions are guidelines are followed, including 4) Analyze: Level of Service (LOS), realistic challenges that snow & saving money, managing risk, and data, and variances ice management professionals and reducing salt use. Achieving these facility managers are faced with. results also benefit the environment 5) Improve: Safety, level of service, Liability, now from the overuse of de- and your reputation. productivity icing salts (e.g. “rock salt” – sodium Although over 100 criteria must be met 6) Optimize: Equipment, materials, chloride), is a new challenge that the for properties or highway departments time, and data snow & ice management industry to earn SWiM certification, the broad must address head on. Furthermore, criteria of policies are easily available Proof the expectations for “green” and to follow. These straightforward Several pilots and proof case “sustainable” alternatives are on the categories of policy enable standards studies analyzed SWiM® certified rise. of practice for in-house, contracted, or SITES™ and ROADS™ over the past Numerous research studies validate municipal operations. three winter seasons (2017/2018 to that most non-point source chloride 2019/2020). Researchers with the contamination of freshwater aquifers Rochester Institute of Technology originate from parking surfaces (RIT) and the NY State Pollution and local roads. Therefore, facility Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) managers and winter management assessed SWiM program results operators or contractors need to for a multi-location retail property be prepared for future regulations owner located in the snow belt and liability linked to their use of region of Syracuse, NY. These de-icing salts to control slippery results validate significant cost, winter conditions on properties risk, and environmental benefits. and roadways. Furthermore, there For example, two sets of retail store are numerous proof case studies properties owned by the same that confirm public and private Policy company, with the same level of organizations alike can save big on salt and their budgets. The Sustainable Winter Management (SWiM) program guidelines www.witadvisers/swim, are readily available for snow and Policy The six categories of SWiM policy standards include; 1) Measure: You must measure to improve, particularly salt and time outputs 2) Calibrate: Equipment capacity, manpower, response times, salt, and other materials 3) Prevent: Bonding of snow and ice, waste, re-work, and safety incidents 4) Analyze: Level of Service (LOS), data, and variances 5) Improve: Safety, level of service, productivity The six categories of SWiM policy standards include; 1) Measure: You must measure to improve, particularly salt and time outputs service (LOS) expectations, virtually the same parking space footprint, and location only a few miles from each other is compared. In the following case study table, there was one set of stores who followed ice management operators and 6) Optimize: Equipment, materials, time, and data2) Calibrate: Equipment capacity, SWiM guidelines and one set who facility managers to follow. Unlike manpower, response times, salt, did not follow the guidelines which is sustainability initiatives that typically Proof and other materials compared. Several pilots and proof case studies analyzed SWiM® certified SITES™ and ROADS™ over the 18 past three winter seasons (2017/2018 to 2019/2020). Researchers with the ISSUE 2 – 2020 | SNOW MANAGERRochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and the NY State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) assessed SWiM program results for a multi-location retail property owner located in the snow belt region of Syracuse, NY. The results validat significant cost, risk and environmental benefits. For

Case study of SWiM-certified parking lots compared with noncertified parking lots. View the RIT / NYSP2I case study at https://tinyurl.com/rit-nysp2

Furthermore, a full life cycle assessment suggests the SWiM program more efficiently services parking lots, as seen by a 50 per cent reduction in salting trips on average, as compared to stores serviced by traditional plowing and salting methods. These results proved a greater than 50 per cent reduction of energy usage and global warming potential on average.

You can view the RIT / NYSP2I case study here: https://tinyurl.com/rit-nysp2

SWiM site certified – Retail proof case

Well-known grocery chain and retail sustainability leader Wegmans Food Markets piloted the SWiM certification guidelines for three seasons before deciding to expand the SWiM program chain wide. A summary of their results includes a net projected annual savings of nearly half a million dollars; reduced carbon footprint equivalent to over 1,500 cars being taken off the road annually; and, saving over one-billion gallons of fresh drinking water from being polluted.

SWiM ROAD certified – Municipal proof case

A public private partnership between the Fund for Lake George and WIT Advisers enabled the SWiM ROAD certification guidelines to be implemented by highway departments who perform snow and ice management services throughout the Lake George, NY watershed basin. To date, three municipalities in the Lake George basin have earned the SWiM ROAD certification, including the

No. of Parking Spaces

and no landscape damage 32 $367.15 N Slip & fall 2 o incidents CASE STUDY: Case study of SWiM-certified parking lots increased Cost per 32 SWiM Other Factors $286.32 Ye No increase in slip Parking 7 Certified? s & fall incidents

Space

884 $365.72 NoFurthermore, a full life cycle Landscape damage replacements exceeded $25k (due to salt damage)assessment suggests the SWiM program more efficiently services 832 parking lot $271.29 Yes Slip & fall incidents decreased and no landscape damages, as seen by a 50 per cent reduction in salting trips on average, as compared to 322 $367.15 No Slip & fall incidents increased stores serviced by traditional plowing and salting methods. These results proved a greater than 327 $286.32 Yes No increase in slip & fall incidents50 per cent reduction of energy usage and global warming potential on average. You can view the RIT / NYSP2I case study here: https://tinyurl.com/rit-nysp2

Well-known grocery chain and retail sustainability leader Wegmans Food Markets piloted the SWiM certification guidelines for three seasons before deciding to expand the SWiM program Normalized Cumulative Energy Demand & Global Warming Potential when comparing SWiM chain wide. A summary of their results includes a net projected annual savings of nearly half a and Non-SWiM sitesmillion dollars; reduced carbon footprint equivalent to over 1,500 cars being taken off the road annually; and, saving over one-billion gallons of fresh drinking water from being polluted.

SWiM site certified – Retail proof case

SWiM ROAD certified – Municipal proof caseTown of Hague, NY, who’s proof case standards of policy are consistent results include saving this small-town for developing a Sustainable Winter A public private partnership between the Fund for Lake George and WIT Advisers enabled the SWiM ROAD certification guidelines to be implemented by highway departments who perform tax base over $66,000 in annual snow Management (SWiM) program. snow and ice management services throughout the Lake George, NY watershed basin. To dateand ice management expenses, and Following SWiM guidelines in , three municipalities in the Lake George basi has saved nearly 170 million gallons n have earned the SWiM ROAD certification, their proper order and holding including the Town of Hague, NY, who’s proof case results include saving this small-town tax base over $66,000 in annual snow and ice management expenses, and has saved nearly 170 million gallons of Lake George from being polluted annually. of Lake George from being polluted annually. maintenance operations accountable to continuously implement the SWiM Whether the site, road, or sidewalk standards of practices are important setting is that of retail, commercial to manage for achieving similar office, public or private, the results and benefits.

To learn more about Sustainable These articles further discuss To learn more about Sustainable Winter Management (SWiM®) SWiM policies, methodologies and Winter Management (SWiM™), guidelines you can implement in your environmental stewardship through please email Phill Sexton at snow and ice management operation, the lens of sustainability as it applies psexton@witadvisers.com, or visit visit the SWiM article series at to winter management. www.witadvisers.com/swim. ■ witadvisers.us/articles/.

Phill Sexton has worked as a snow and ice management professional for over 30 years. He is managing director of WIT

Advisers who serve as industry advisers for SIMA and administers the SWiM program and certifications.