Wastewater Spill At Treatment Plant: Stay Out Of The Russian River

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Officials are warning against contact with the Russian River after untreated wastewater overflowed into the waterway.

Members of the public should follow posted signage and avoid contact with the water, officials said.

The Sonoma Water agency is responding to a spill of untreated wastewater at the Russian River Treatment Plant after heavy overnight rainfall from an atmospheric river overwhelmed the facility and caused it to reach capacity early today.

The plant was receiving flows at a rate of approximately four million gallons per day and no additional storage capacity was available. A portion of the discharge is traveling roughly one-quarter of a mile through a forested area before reaching the mainstem of the Russian River. River levels are elevated, with flows exceeding 30,000 cubic feet per second at the Hacienda Bridge, according to the agency.

Sonoma Water alerted affected community members this morning. Sonoma Water staff have made required notifications to regulatory agencies and environmental specialists were dispatched to the site to assess conditions and potential impacts, according to the agency.

"Community members are advised to stay away from the Russian River, which remains under storm conditions. Members of the public should follow posted signage and avoid contact with the water," according to a statement released this afternoon.

The Russian River County Sanitation District asks users to reduce wastewater use to help limit ongoing impacts.

The Russian River County Sanitation District serves 3,214 equivalent single-family dwellings within a 2,700-acre service area. The treatment facility has a design capacity of 710,000 gallons per day under average dry-weather conditions and treats wastewater to tertiary, or advanced, treatment standards, according to the agency.

Information and updates are available at www.sonomawater.org/rrcsd.