By Kerri Williams

WESTPORT–The news was both good and bad concerning water quality in town during a discussion at Wednesday’s work session of the Conservation Commission.

In a report from Nikki Spiller, director of Harbor Watch, the Saugatuck River and Harbors both came out well as far as bacteria detected in samples, while other waterways like Sasco Brook and and New Creek by Maple Lane need improvement.

“Westport falls in the middle,” Spiller said, when compared with other towns. “Some (areas) are great and some need improvement.”

But later in the meeting, Conservation Director Colin Kelly painted a grimmer picture of local water quality. With 80 percent of the town developed, meaning not forested, it’s very difficult to have waterways that are free from pollutants, he said.

“There’s such an intense usage in Westport,” Kelly said, referring to the development in town since the 1960s. 

When asked by Brian Whiting, a member of the commission, if it’s important to get the word out about town waterways now so that things don’t worsen, Kelly said, “We’re already at that point.”

But Kelly did qualify that “what you do as a commission is still important” also praising the sampling work done by Harbor Watch, which is a part of Earthplace, an environmental center in town. Kelly said that testing helps detect waterways that have particularly high bacteria levels so the town can find ways to combat that.

In her talk, Spiller reported “pretty decent water quality” in Saugatuck Harbor when compared to Norwalk Harbor. Partially because of the sandy bottom of Saugatuck Harbor, Spiller said the water quality tends to be better and that more species of aquatic life are detected. 

Two waterways that need more attention are parts of Sasco Brook and New Creek, she said. In Sasco Brook, DNA bacteria testing determined that horse manure was an issue. While the Fairfield County Hunt Club could be a factor, Spiller said that some of the samples taken upstream of the club still found elevated levels of horse manure. She said an education program could be helpful in improving water quality there.

The Hunt Club has also been part of a success story by adding washing stations and a bioswale that resulted in significant reduction of bacteria concentrations.

At New Creek, the suspected issue was septic system failure in the immediate area by Maple Lane. Spiller said Harbor Watch conducted three collection dates there, determining that bacteria levels were highest in the early morning hours, when more people would be using water in their homes. Kelly said later in the meeting that his department saw that data and is actively working with a homeowner to fix a septic system.

Spiller also spoke about an issue close to Earthplace where “dog poop bags” were discovered in a catch basin. That problem improved after an education campaign sending letters to residents in the immediate area, she said.

In speaking to the commission, Kelly pointed out that a small amount of the town’s budget goes to Harbor Watch for conducting these tests, which he called crucial. The $7,500 from the town each year pays for testing just one waterway, while in some years, Harbor Watch tests four to five areas in Westport, he said. For 2026, they will monitor Sasco Brook and New Creek.

Kerri Williams

^{_{Kerri Williams is an award-winning writer and journalist. She has worked as a reporter at the Norwalk Hour, as Living editor at the Darien News-Review, and managing editor for the Norwalk Citizen-News. For Westport Journal, she is a reporter as well as a gardening columnist, writing “Cultivating with Kerri.” She recently published her first children’s book – “Mabel’s Big Move,” based on her daughter with special needs.}}