What kind of science experiment is brewing in the Brine Master 3000 at Spokane Public Schools Warehouse in northeast Spokane?
For the first time in district history, district facilities is producing its own liquid deicer to keep students, staff, and families safe during winter weather. This innovative approach transforms how we manage snow and ice on sidewalks and parking lots across all school sites.
The process starts with salt from Utah arriving in 2,000-pound bags. Facilities teams mix it in a brine master until it reaches a precise 21.8% salt-to-water ratio, then store it in a 10,000-gallon tank. From there, the liquid deicer is pumped into trucks equipped with spray rigs and applied to parking lots and sidewalks before winter storms hit.
The benefits are significant: The liquid deicer actually melts snow on contact, unlike the sand previously used for traction. It's quicker to apply and can be deployed right before storms arrive. The new approach costs about one-third of what sand did, and it's 100% environmentally safe.
"The safety aspect is probably what I'm most excited about," shared Kevin Grimm, Director of Facilities & Maintenance. "This is almost a guarantee that we won't get ice."
No more sand being tracked into buildings. No more slippery parking lots. Just safer schools for our entire community.
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