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City presenter flags gaps in Westport TMDL compliance, urges council help finding septic‑system grants
Summary
Nicole Trenton highlighted gaps in Westport’s TMDL report—particularly stormwater management, mercury controls and outreach evaluation—and asked the council to help identify grant funding and methods to track septic‑system needs for homeowners.
Nicole Trenton, the city reporter who presented the annual Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report, told the Westport City Council on Jan. 21 that the city is meeting most requirements but has outstanding work on temperature, mercury and bacteria sections.
"TMDL stands for total maximum daily load," Trenton said, explaining the TMDL is a Clean Water Act cleanup plan that sets the maximum pollutant a water body can receive and still meet standards. She pointed the council to deadlines in the draft: an updated temperature plan due Nov. 9, 2026, and a streamside evaluation due May 9, 2028, and said she will coordinate with the local contact to update the plan.
Trenton said the mercury section (MERC 3) calls for municipal pollution‑prevention measures and a stormwater‑management plan the city does not currently have the expertise to develop. "Our city facilities don't seem to have a lot of stormwater runoff, but generally, we don't have the expertise to develop a plan," she said, and flagged the five‑year report recommendation that the city seek outside help.
On bacteria and septic systems, Trenton noted the TMDL requires repeated public information and follow‑up: "I'm required to publish septic tank maintenance information four times a year" and the council is expected to seek grant opportunities to assist homeowners. Councilors discussed surveying residents about system age, upgrades and maintenance to better estimate project costs and eligibility for assistance.
Councilors asked for clarity on which responsibilities remain with the city and which are county duties; Trenton said DEQ will convene a meeting in February with county staff and that she plans to attend. The council did not adopt new policy at the meeting but agreed to support staff efforts to search for grants and to seek more specific guidance from DEQ on stormwater outreach assessment methods.
What happens next: Trenton will follow up with the county meeting arranged by DEQ and will return council recommendations on outreach evaluation and potential grant avenues.
