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Line 55: Salt contamination in freshwater (freshwater salinization) is a major concern to Ontarians wellbeing as it can lead to:*Unpleasant taste in drinking water*Health issues for those with hypertension issues*Health issues for those who have experienced congestive heart failure*Impacts to those with sodium restricted diets[https://sustainabletechnologies.ca/app/uploads/2020/03/Alternatives-to-salt-technical-brief.pdf STEP's Technical Brief: Alternatives to Salt: What else melts snow and ice?]<ref>STEP. 2020. Alternatives to Salt: What else melts snow and ice? Technical Brief. https://sustainabletechnologies.ca/app/uploads/2020/03/Alternatives-to-salt-technical-brief.pdf</ref> from 2020, highlights how municipalities across Canada using salt as their primary de-icing agent in winter, poses significant impacts to their regions. This includes, corrosion of infrastructure and other metal structures such as railings and doorways, damage to vehicles, contamination of surface and groundwater, impacts to roadside vegetation, increased wildlife collision rates and large amounts of product waste due to blowing or bouncing off roadways). You can read more about the benefits, drawbacks, cost estimates and lowest working temperature for a given deicing agent at the link above.Furthermore, salt can contribute to both biodiversity and habitat loss for numerous species. In Ontario, road salt was identified as one of the threats to drinking water under the Clean Water Act, 2006 - as well as a known toxin to wildlife species<ref>Government of Ontario. 2006. Clean Water Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 22. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06c22.</ref>. Salt can impacts bird species, many plants and trees growth ability, and decrease size, function and fecundify in fish, mollusks (snail, mussels, etc.), amphibians and benthic invertebrate species.A recent literature review by [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331991752_A_review_of_the_species_community_and_ecosystem_impacts_of_road_salt_salinisation_in_fresh_waters Hintz and Relyea (2019)])<ref name="example1" />.discusses the impacts of road salt on local ecosystems and found that road salts negatively affect species at all trophic levels, from biofilms to fish species, but the concentration of road salt where adverse effects were observed varied and the effects themselves ranged from: *Reductions in fecundity, size and shape of various species*Reduced levels of growth and abundance of sensitive species*Alterations to nutrient and energy flow at an ecosystem level *Increased greenhouse gas emissions from contaminated wetlands; and,*Altered hydrology, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon level dynamics in lakes and streams.
→Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines
*An aesthetic objective for Chloride of 250 mg/L was developed for drinking water supplies based on taste and potential for corrosion in the distribution system.
*An aesthetic objective for Chloride of 250 mg/L was developed for drinking water supplies based on taste and potential for corrosion in the distribution system.
*Sodium also has an aesthetic objective of 200 mg/L based on taste, as well as a guideline of 20 mg/L for people on sodium restricted diets
*Sodium also has an aesthetic objective of 200 mg/L based on taste, as well as a guideline of 20 mg/L for people on sodium restricted diets
===CCME Guidelines on Salt's Impact to Environment===
===CCME Guidelines on Salt's Impact to Environment===