Orchard Avenue Sewer Leak Information:

Contact for Claims, Damages, and Questions: 
Michael Bendik, Risk & Safety Officer, Sonoma Water, Michael.Bendik@scwa.ca.gov, (707) 524-2256 

Contacts for Information:  
Barry Dugan, 707-331-2040, barry.dugan@scwa.ca.gov 

Updates: 

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December 2, 2021 at 12pm (noon):

• The emergency repair on the leaking sewer pipe on Orchard Avenue has been completed. Sonoma Water staff will check the repair site for signs of leakage for the next week.
• Please notify Sonoma Water staff immediately if you observe leakage at the repair location by calling (707) 523-1070.
• No wastewater reached the Russian River during the sewer pipe leak and aggressive containment efforts were made to control the leak and limit exposure to the surrounding community.
• A comprehensive cleanup effort is under way and Sonoma Water staff and our contractor will be contacting property owners regarding the remediation process.
• While the current emergency repairs are complete,  options for upgrading the force main are being evaluated.
• Residents may return to normal water usage, keeping in mind that our region is still in a drought.
• We appreciate your patience and understanding during this emergency repair process.
• We will keep residents notified of additional activity. If you wish to be added to our notification list, please send an email to barry.dugan@scwa.ca.gov

December 1, 2021 at 6pm:

• No sewage entered the Russian River. Clean up efforts scheduled for tomorrow December 2, 2021.
• Repair of the damaged pipe has been completed and wastewater is flowing to the plant.
• Testing and monitoring of the force main pipe will be ongoing for 24 hours.
• Residence Assistance is available please contact Barry Dugan Barry.Dugan@scwa.ca.gov

December 1, 2021 at 3pm:

• No sewage entered the Russian River.  The swift response of Sonoma Water maintenance and operations teams helped ensure the Russian River was not impacted.
• A 15 inch tear on top of the force main pipe has been found so far.
• Additional excavation is taking place now.
• Until we know for certain the extent of the damage, we do not have an estimated repair schedule.
• Pumper trucks are being used to convey sewage to the treatment plant.

December 1, 2021 at 8am:

• Active sewer leak stopped:  Sonoma Water has stopped the active sewer leak by using pumping trucks to remove wastewater from the force main and then transporting that wastewater to the treatment plant on Neeley Rd.
• No disruption to services: There is no disruption to sewer or water services to customers in the Russian River County Sanitation District.
• Leak detection:  Sonoma Water is now looking for the source of the sewer leak. We will do this by potholing in the street to find the location of the sewer leak. This will include staff using jack hammers and other equipment – please excuse the noise!
• Russian River water quality:  Sonoma Water is monitoring Russian River water quality in case the wastewater reached the Russian River. Biologists are on scene.
• Estimated time of repair:  Depending on the type of repair needed, it could take a few days up to a week or more before Sonoma Water activities cease on Orchard Ave.  We will provide updates on this web page with updated repair schedules.
• Reduce water use:Sonoma Water is asking all Russian River County Sanitation District customers to reduce indoor water use.  The less water used inside your home, the less wastewater goes into the sewer pipes and the less water we have to pump until we repair this leak.

November 30, 2021:

• Incident summary update: A break in a sewer force main was discovered at 3 p.m. on November, 30, 2021 at the end of Orchard Avenue in Guerneville and crews from the Russian River County Sanitation District (RRCSD) are on the scene containing the leak and undertaking repair.  All RRCSD customers are being asked to reduce their water usage as much as possible during this emergency. Reducing water use will reduce flows into the collection system and reduce wastewater discharges. Read the press release here. 

Location of sewer leak:

The location of the sewer leak is marked with an "X" below and pumping activities are taking place at the "P" marked below.

What is a sewer force main?

See the below image below that illustrates what a sewer force main is:

About the Russian River County Sanitation District:

• Began Operation: 1983
• Service area: 2,700 acres
• Service recipients: 3,211 Equivalent Single-Family Dwelling
• Treatment level: Tertiary
• Design capacity: 710,000 gallons per day (average daily dry weather flow)
• Discharge: Between October 1 and May 14 recycled water is discharged into the Russian River. Between May 15 and September 30 the recycled water is used for irrigation on forested land adjacent to the treatment plant and on the Northwood Golf Course.
• District brochure
• Board of Directors:  Sonoma Water's Board of Directors act as the District's Board.

For more information visit, https://www.sonomawater.org/RRCSD