Sonoma Water has been awarded a record forty-seven point eight million dollar state grant to completely overhaul the lower Russian River’s aging wastewater system.
According to the Press Democrat, the massive Clean Water funding will modernize thirty-four miles of sewer lines, upgrade eleven pump stations, and increase treatment capacity from Rio Nido to Vacation Beach.
The major injection of cash follows years of infrastructure failures, including a massive five-and-a-half million gallon raw sewage spill into the river this past January after heavy storms overwhelmed the Neeley Road plant. Officials say the upgrades will make the system far more resilient against future atmospheric rivers by expanding pumping capacity and lifting emergency generators five feet above flood stage.
While environmental advocates are celebrating the historic grant, officials note it will still take years to address the region’s wider reliance on failing residential septic tanks.
