Waterford ― With the help of the towns of Waterford and East Lyme, Save The River - Save The Hills has a new pumpout boat for the Niantic River and Bay.

Deb Moshier-Dunn, vice president of the non-profit environmental organization, said the previous pumpout boat partially sank at the dock and was totaled in the fall of last year.

The new boat was estimated to cost $94,125, but supply-chain issues increased the cost to $106,684. A grant from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) covered 75% of the original cost of the boat, leaving the two towns to split the remaining cost.

Moshier-Dunn said if they did not get the boat built and delivered by the end of the year, they could have lost the grant. She said the boat was delivered on Tuesday, but it would not see the water this year as boating season is over for the year

Moshier-Dunn explained that STR-STH's Pumpout Program pumps highly concentrated human waste off boats to be properly disposed of in a sewer. Each year, the program pumps more than 14,000 gallons of sewage in the East Lyme sewage system, which then flows through Waterford and into New London’s water treatment plant. Waterford allows the boat to dock at the town dock.

In addition to the grant the program received for the new boat, STR-STH receives an annual grant from DEEP to run the program, which covers 75% of operating costs. Each town, as well as the Waterford-East Lyme Shellfish Commission (WELSCO) also contribute annually to help cover the remaining 25% Local marinas, including Three Belles Marina and Niantic Boats, Inc., also contribute with donations.

“It is a great feeling to know we are actively protecting the Niantic River and Bay by keeping sewage out of our waters,” Moshier-Dunn said.

The program was started in 2001 when Fred Grimsey, the founder of STR-STH, and Pat Kelly of WELSCO, drove to Virginia to pick up a skiff Grimsey bought to retrofit into a pumpout boat, Moshier-Dunn said. Grimsey then went to DEEP for a grant to run the program, and have covered 75% of the program's costs ever since.

The skiff made a brief return to the water last year when the previous pumpout boat was totaled.

Moshier-Dunn said the Niantic River and Bay was the last “embayment” on the coast without a pumpout program and said once the program was up and running, the state closed the entire coast to the dumping of marine sewage.

Kate Brown at DEEP encouraged the program to ask for a grant for a replacement boat after the previous one was totaled. Once the grant was approved, STR-STH's Pumpout Administrator, Jim Paganetti, began to look for a new boat.

Moshier-Dunn said boats are in very high demand currently and they were unsure if one would be made in time for the grant this year. She added that they did have to opt for a “different, more expensive engine” due to availability. She credited the support from each town, WELSCO, local marinas and the members of STR-STH for securing the new boat.

“This is truly a collaborative effort,” Moshier-Dunn said.

STR-STH is a non-profit 501(c)(3) environmental organization based on the Niantic River Estuary. The self-proclaimed grassroots organization says it is dedicated to preserving the health of the Niantic River Estuary, its watershed in the towns of East Lyme, Montville, Salem and Waterford, and the natural beauty of the Oswegatchie Hills.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to accurately reflect the name of the type of boat.

k.arnold@theday.com