People are being asked to stay away from the Russian River near Guerneville following a wastewater treatment plant overflow early Tuesday.
The Russian River Treatment Plant on Neeley Road was overwhelmed during heavy rainfall overnight that resulted in flows at a rate of 4 million gallons per day into the system, which has a design capacity of 710,000 gallons per day under average dry-weather conditions, according to Sonoma Water.
Sonoma Water manages a system that provides filtered water to nine cities and special districts in the region.
“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,” Sonoma Water officials said in a news release Tuesday afternoon.
People are being asked to stay away from the river, which is still experiencing storm conditions that resulted in water flows exceeding 30,000 cubic feet per second at the Hacienda Bridge in the Forest Hills neighborhood.
An alert was sent out to the impacted communities and Sonoma Water officials notified the appropriate regulatory agencies, according to the water district, which also sent environmental specialists to the area to assess potential impacts.
People are being told to follow the directions on posted signs and to keep themselves and pets out the water.
“Untreated wastewater contains bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that can cause illness. Contact with river water poses a health risk, particularly for children, pets, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems,” according to district officials.
The Russian River County Sanitation District is also asking people to reduce wastewater use to help limit impacts.
The district serves 3,214 “equivalent single-family” homes within a 2,700-acre service area.
Additional information will be posted at sonomawater.org/rrcsd as it becomes available.