Oakland County, MI — April 2, 2023
Residents of Oakland County townships living on gravel roads who would like to participate in the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) dust-control program this year can now submit their applications for the service. Applications must be received by Monday, April 24.
Residents should check with their township to see if the township participates in the cost of dust control (this could change from year to year, so even if residents checked with the township last year, they should check again this year).
Program Costs
The program involves RCOC applying mineral-well brine to gravel roads four times during the summer and fall to help control dust. The cost to participate in the program is 50.64 cents per linear foot. Residents living on subdivision streets pay for a minimum of 1,000 linear feet of application ($506.40 total for four applications).
On “mile-type” gravel roads, orders should be for a minimum of 500 feet with no more than one skipped section (non-participating property).
Residents can fill out and submit RCOC’s dust-control application to place an order. To submit an application, visit RCOC’s Department of Customer Services offices, 2420 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township (at County Center Drive West, just west of Telegraph Road), call the office toll-free at (877) 858-4804 or send an email to dcsmail@rcoc.org. The Department of Customer Services office is open to the public Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Applications can also be mailed in or dropped at the drop-box at the door to RCOC’s Paul Van Roekel Service Center in Waterford Township. The drop box is at the building’s main front/Customer Services entrance facing County Center Drive West. The address is RCOC Dust-Control Program, Paul Van Roekel Service Center, 2420 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford Township, MI 48328.
Online Resources
Instructions and the application are available online at: http://www.rcocweb.org/339/
Some township offices will also accept the applications — residents should check with their township to see if their application should be submitted there or directly to the Road Commission. Private roads are not included in the dust-control program.
About Mineral-well Brine
Mineral-well brine is naturally occurring saltwater that is pumped from the ground. When applied to gravel roads, the brine draws moisture from the air and ground, and the moisture helps to bind the materials in the road surface, reducing the amount of dust that becomes airborne and providing a better driving surface.
1. Mineral-well brine attracts moisture from the atmosphere and the ground. It is this moisture which acts as a binder on the “fines” in the surface aggregate, preventing them from becoming airborne.
2. Periods of minimal rainfall and low humidity will result in less moisture attracted to the surface of a gravel road on which mineral-well brine has been applied. As a result, the effectiveness will be less during these periods than during periods of high humidity and more rain. The amount of moisture attracted determines how effectively the dust is controlled. During dry periods, the application may be light in color or appear to be streaked.
3. A number of conditions are detrimental to the effectiveness of mineral-well brine, with high traffic volume being the foremost. Sandy soil, lack of binders in the gravel, and lack of shade trees all have some adverse effects on mineral-well brine.
4. Applications are not accepted for mineral-well brine on roads that have been oiled. Mineral-well brine cannot penetrate the oiled surface and either “runs off” or “puddles.” It is suggested to wait one or two seasons prior to purchasing brine for this type of road.
5. Even under normal conditions, it is assumed that dust will not be completely eliminated, and no promise or commitment is made to that effect.
