A sewage spill that has been contaminating the Russian River near Guerneville since Tuesday morning has stopped, according to Sonoma County officials. 

The Russian River Treatment Plant on Neeley Road was overwhelmed during heavy rains Tuesday night, which resulted in untreated wastewater traveling roughly a quarter-mile through a forested area before reaching the river, according to Sonoma Water, an agency that manages a system providing filtered water to nine cities and special districts in the region.

The spill stopped at 6:50 a.m. Thursday.

District officials are working to assess the extent of the spill and its impacts and will continue to conduct water quality sampling.

People are still being told to follow the directions on posted signs along the river and at the coast and to avoid contact with the water until further notice. 

Untreated wastewater can contain bacteria, viruses and other pathogens that pose health risks, particularly to children, pets, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, Sonoma Water officials said in a news release Thursday.

For updates, people can visit sonomawater.org/rrcsd-spill.

Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.