Saltwater remediation without the excavator.
Produced water and brine sterilize soil by binding sodium to the clay. NaClean pulls it back off, so the ground drains, flocculates and grows again, treated right where it lies.
Why salt doesn’t wash out
When saltwater hits the ground, the sodium chloride splits. The chloride is mobile and moves down and out with water. The sodium binds to the clay’s exchange sites, disperses the soil structure and seals it so water can’t move through.
That is why a site can test lower for chloride over time and still be bare. The damage that matters for regrowth is the bound sodium, measured as exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP). Above roughly 12 to 15% ESP, almost nothing grows.
Every rain on an untreated spill drives more sodium onto the clay. A fresh spill is mostly free salt and is cheap to fix. A year later, it’s bound salt, and it takes far more amendment to remove.
The longer salt sits, the more it costs
Estimated cost per acre, by when treatment starts.
How NaClean treatment works
The same four stages on every site. What changes is how much sodium has bound by the time we start.
Release
Sodium is free in the soil. SAR is high and ESP is near zero. This is the cheapest moment to treat, and new spills often need no lab work.
Binding
Rain and time push sodium onto the clay. ESP climbs, the soil disperses, water stops moving and the site starts to erode.
Treatment
Diluted NaClean is sprayed on and watered in. Calcium and stabilized ammonium outcompete sodium for the clay. The dose comes from the site’s ESP and CEC.
Regrowth
The clay reflocculates, sodium flushes below the root zone, and vegetation returns. We re-sample at 60 to 90 days and track to closure.
New spill or legacy scar
Under 6 weeks, or before an inch of rain
- Soil is still saline, not yet sodic
- Dose from the First Response chart, usually without sampling
- Often one application, watered in or left for rain
- Trees can usually be saved if treated quickly
Months or decades old
- Routine salinity analysis with extracted ESP (TX sodium panel or LA 29-B)
- About 4 to 8 composite samples per acre
- Soil ripped to 3 ft and bulked with hay before treatment
- We’ve grassed over scars that sat bare for 20 years
What dig and haul really costs
Excavating one acre to 3 feet moves about 4,840 cubic yards of soil. Every yard has to be dug, trucked, disposed of and replaced with clean fill, then reseeded.
On the Fannett, TX spill, the dig-and-haul estimate for 2.6 acres was $2.2 million. In-situ treatment closed it for $42,000.
| Region | Per cubic yard | 1 acre, 3 ft deep |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $175–250 | $850K–1.21M |
| Midland / Odessa, TX | $200–250 | $970K–1.21M |
| New Mexico | $250–300 | $1.21–1.45M |
| North Dakota | $350 | $1.69M |
Questions we hear
Should we flush the spill with fresh water?
Usually not. Flushing an untreated spill moves sodium onto the clay faster and can raise ESP by several points per inch of water. Treat first, then water it in.
Do we need lab work before you can quote?
Not for a new spill. Size and age are enough to dose from our First Response chart. Older sites need a routine salinity analysis with extracted ESP so we can calculate the exact amount of NaClean.
How long until grass comes back?
On our completed sites, typically 4 to 9 months from treatment, depending on soil, rainfall and how long the salt had been there.
Will it meet our state’s closure requirements?
We sample and track sites to the criteria your regulator uses, such as the Texas Railroad Commission, New Mexico OCD or Louisiana 29-B. Tell us the regulator on the assessment form.
Can our own crew apply it?
Yes. Most customers buy NaClean and apply it with a pump and hose. We calculate the dose and dilution and stay on the phone through the job.
Get a free site assessment
Tell us what spilled, when, and roughly how big. That's enough for us to start.