How Walmart Keeps Ice Off Their Parking Lots in San Angelo

The Walmarts in San Angelo hired a contractor out of Abilene to apply a de-icing rock chemical to its parking lots.

Friday evening’s weather forecast is for a 50 percent chance of freezing rain or snow with a low temperature of 25 degrees F. That kind of forecast, in addition to the standing water already existing on the Walmart parking lot this afternoon, means tonight’s road conditions will more than likely be very icy and slippery.

We found Steve Watts of More Clean of Texas, a company that takes care of parking lots for big box stores all over west Texas, pouring what looked like rock salt into a spreader.

It’s not salt, however. According to Watts, salt isn’t environmentally friendly and will kill plants, particularly in Walmart’s landscaping. “It’s not a good thing for [water] runoff either,” Watts said.

Instead of salt, Watts said after several years of experimentation, his company found that a granular mix of calcium chloride and magnesium chloride works best, and protects the environment. “It’s biodegradable,” he said.

Watts said his company takes care of both San Angelo Walmart parking lots and the Best Buy parking lot. Before the day is over, his team will have de-iced the Walmarts in Snyder, both stores in Abilene, Breckenridge, and the last store will be in Stamford tonight.

The parking lot at the Sherwood Way Walmart will require two applications (at least) of 2,500 pounds of the chemical.

More Clean of Texas is a parking lot maintenance company. Their primary service is sweeping and cleaning parking lots. De-icing services were added when Watts approached the Abilene Target’s manager, asking him what could be done to prevent slips and falls after he helped a lady off the ground during an ice storm there seven years ago. The Target manager gave Watts the contact information for the contractor for Target’s parking lots at its Abilene stores and Watts was soon subcontracting with that company, de-icing area Target parking lots.

“The big box corporations like Walmart like for their vendors to perform a variety of services, and that’s what we do,” Watts said.