Board of Health OKs four septic system plans

Board of Health · Meeting of August 31, 2026

WESTPORT — The Westport Board of Health heard that its regional staffing collaborative still can't find a qualified inspector, even as a separate town committee moved to fund a new addiction advocate role. Olive Wacherski of the SouthCoast Public Health Collaborative said recent interviews were "not super promising" after two shared inspectors left, and a staffing agency has struggled to find candidates; one resume for a health agent opening arrived Friday. Members blamed Westport's pay scale, with one saying "you can't get blood from a stone," noting the vacancy has delayed septic perk tests for residents, engineers and realtors.

Separately, the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Committee voted, 1 dissenting, to recommend a shared substance-use and mental health advocate position, split between the community and the school department, requesting $60,000 in opioid settlement money toward an estimated $120,000 role. The board also approved, 2-0 with one member absent each time, septic and Title V variance plans for 3 Diane Way, 13A Tickle Road, 162 B Road, 79 D Drive, 20 Register Road, 175 Sanford Road and 100 O Drive, and approved its August 17 meeting minutes.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,692 words

Source: the Board of Health meeting of August 31, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.