Untreated wastewater spills into Russian River after rainfall overwhelms sewage treatment plant
By Carlos E. Castañeda
Heavy overnight rainfall in Sonoma County has caused a spill of untreated wastewater into the Russian River in the Guerneville area, authorities said Tuesday.
Sonoma Water said in a press release that the Russian River Treatment Plant on Neeley Road was overwhelmed by the rainfall, causing it to reach capacity early Tuesday. Part of the discharge was traveling about a quarter-mile through a forested area before reaching the river downstream from Guerneville in the area of the Northwood community, the utility said.
Residents in the area were notified of the spill by an alert messaging system on Tuesday morning, according to Sonoma Water, while local regulatory agencies and environmental specialists were dispatched to the site to assess the spill’s impacts.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office advised the public to avoid the Russian River downstream of the treatment plant to Jenner. Russian River beaches are closed, as are Sonoma Coast beaches from Russian Gulch State Beach south to Doran Beach, due to health hazards, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows the Russian River is currently at elevated levels with flows exceeding 30,000 cubic feet per second.
The Russian River County Sanitation District urged users to reduce wastewater use to help limit impacts from the spill.
Sonoma Water said contact with river water currently poses a health risk, particularly for children, pets, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems. The utility said more information will be posted at www.sonomawater.org/rrcsd as it becomes available.
