A new initiative by officials at the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility is decreasing the amount of waste shipped off the installation and helping county roads at the same time.

According to Alaine Grieser, spokesperson for Deseret Chemical Depot, the project makes use of wastewater from the facility’s water softener system. TOCDF is currently donating the wastewater to the county to be used for dust suppression and road maintenance on dirt roads during summer months, as the makeup of the water is similar to the saltwater that the Utah Department of Transportation requires for such uses.

“The cost of saltwater may not be expensive per mile,” said Rod Thompson, director of the Tooele County roads department. “But there are many miles of dirt roads in Tooele County, creating a challenge with the limited road maintenance budget available.”

This reuse project is also cost-effective for TOCDF, since it helps the facility save on fuel costs associated with trucking the wastewater off site and the cost of water treatment, according to Grieser.

Since the beginning of the summer, TOCDF has provided the county with 45,000 gallons of water, Grieser said.

The water has been used on several backcountry roads, including parts of the Pony Express Route. UDOT plans to test a concentrated amount of the product for use as a de-icer in the Salt Lake area as well, according to Grieser.

“This initiative has helped build that cooperation between us and the local community,” Grieser said. “It’s rewarding to know that you’re contributing to the community.”

TOCDF also recycles items such as computers, electronics, white paper, industrial scrap metal and wood pallets, Grieser said.

Jamie Belnap: jamieb@tooeletranscript.com