Stormwater Grant Awarded To Stonington To Improve Water Quality

STONINGTON, CT — The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Watershed Section has awarded a $545,000 grant for the Town of Stonington to work in partnership with the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District to improve water quality.

The project will implement recommendations from Anguilla Brook/Inner Wequetequock Cove Watershed-Based Plan, according to a statement from the town.

The project will be conducted within the Wequetequock Cove watershed at Stonington High School, Spellman Drive, Stonington’s Human Services parking lot, and neighborhoods in the watershed. The main goal is to improve stormwater runoff management.

The funding comes from a federal Clean Water Act grant program.

Plans call for installation of four bioretention systems, nine tree filters, and ten residential rain gardens, as well as conduct an outreach and education campaign in all neighborhoods identified in the watershed plan, according to the statement.

Educational information and community outreach will include information about the importance of proper disposal of pet waste, septic care, and fertilizer reduction.

“We are so grateful to our Stonington team and the excellent partners that have made this project possible," Danielle Chesebrough, Stonington First Selectman, said in a statement. "This project is another example of what can be possible when we are able to bring together people and with a range of skills."