Hello everybody! 

So I contacted Mr. Jing Tao, head of the stormwater engineering division here in KCMO. I had some questions after reading through KC's Stormwater Management Plans, and he answered them: 

1- Is stormwater being treated before it goes to rivers/streams?(below is paraphrased).

Stormwater actually IS being treated, through long-term projects like the Smart Sewer System and green infrasturcture that filters out runoff. 

2- Are there any issues that prevents KC from being able to actually use eco-friendly salt, or to actually use less road salt? (below is directly quoted). 

"Currently we have not found a substitute that can be as effective, or as economically sustainable as the ones we have been using. For example, we talked to Missouri Department of Transportation and local car dealership about the beet juice. We saw quite a few cons about using it on local streets. It works a bit better for highway system.

Thank you for asking me to give some input about it. I really want to see people including our young generation to come up with (1) some practical alternatives to the conventional salt, and (2) a better designed system to predict freezing road surface condition. Funding is a big challenge for us."

 I still will keep this petition open (even though right now it does not seem necessary since the problem is pretty much already solved), so that I can continue to communicate with all of you! I find road salt and water quality interesting, I will keep on researching. Currently I am in the middle of going through the rest of KC's Stormwater Management Plan BMPs (Best Management Practices) and learning about how Wisconsin has had a great program that reduces road salt. I wish KC had a program like Wisconsin's: (wisaltwise.com). 

Until later!