Transforming Municipal Road Salt Deployment: Clean Nature's Pilot Project

Managing and protecting our freshwater resources is one of the most pressing concerns we face today. Municipalities around the world are exposed to the growing issues associated with this transversal crisis, affecting the environment, the economy, our health, and our communities.  To meet these challenges, it is essential to implement innovative and sustainable solutions. That's where the AquaEntrepreneur program comes in.

AquaAction: Develop, Implement and Scale Innovative Solutions for Water

AquaAction , founded in 2015, is a charitable organization dedicated to revitalizing freshwater health in North America. Our AquaHacking and AquaEntrepreneur programs are designed to help entrepreneurs develop, implement and scale innovative solutions to pressing freshwater issues.

Webinar Series to Inspire Municipalities into Action

In collaboration with Réseau Environnement , AquaAction launched a series of webinars to inspire and encourage municipalities to adopt promising technologies. Each webinar in the series will highlight impactful innovations, and the very first edition unveiled the impressive results of Clean Nature's pilot project with the City of L'Assomption (Quebec, Canada).

Clean Nature: From Ideation to Commercialization

Born from the 2019 AquaHacking Challenge, Clean Nature was able to imagine and develop guIA, an intelligent decision-support tool that optimizes the distribution of road salts, reducing costs and environmental impacts, while assuring road safety. After winning 2nd place in the Challenge, they joined Cohort 2 of AquaEntrepreneur, a commercialization support program designed to equip entrepreneurs with opportunities, personalized industry coaching and an engaged network. Thanks to this program and our partner IVÉO , Clean Nature landed their very first pilot project with the City of l'Assomption, which ended last April.

Challenge of Salt Deployment in Canada

The salt-deployment market in Canada is worth $12 million annually, with 5 million tonnes of salt being spread each winter. The absence of standards for this practice means an increased risk of over-spreading, which not only increases costs, but also has significant environmental impacts on waterways, wildlife, and infrastructure.

Pilot Project Results

This first pilot project with the City of l'Assomption is concrete proof of the benefits of Clean Nature's guIA tool. The results show an approximate 20% reduction in salt use, with potential savings of $40,000 for an entire municipality, representing a 25% reduction in anticipated costs.

Clean Nature demonstrated that their tool, guIA, can keep roads safe while significantly reducing the amount of salt deployed in the process. This innovation is not only beneficial to the environment, but also economically viable for the municipality. The success of this project exemplifies how municipalities can play a critical role in implementing innovative technologies that will protect and preserve. Become a driver of positive change like the City of l'Assomption and implement a sustainable solution that will benefit your entire community!

Other innovative solutions and pilot project results, supported by AquaEntrepreneur, will be showcased throughout the webinar series. Follow us on LinkedIn to know when to register for the next one!