Residents Along Russian River Howling Over Dumping of Sewage

While millions of gallons of treated wastewater poured down the Russian River, which supplies fresh water for thousands of residents, government officials Wednesday worked to stem the swelling tide of complaints.

Hastily set-up pipelines and fleets of tanker trucks were brought in to supply residents along the normally clean stream with fresh water. Officials meanwhile worried whether the emergency measures will be enough to quiet increasing complaints from residents that their water never should have been contaminated with the treated sewage--a condition created because the city’s sewage facilities are overburdened.

By noon Wednesday, an estimated 210 million gallons of the sewage had flowed into the river and had reached populated areas downstream, according to Matt Mullan, district manager of Citizens Utilities Co., the local water company.

Michael Vintieri, assistant Sonoma County public health officer, said release of the effluent is “a major public health threat” and warned citizens to stay out of the river. He said that fresh water supplies are adequate and no one would have to resort to boiling water.

The release had an effect on tourism, with many business people complaining of visitor cancellations.

“The region’s image has been spoiled,” said Grant F. King, who has lived in the area for more than 40 years and operates a bait and tackle business. “But we are going to make it through; we always have.”

Tuesday night’s Santa Rosa City Council meeting drew a large crowd, with most of the people there to criticize the city for dumping sewage in the river.

Council members said the current wastewater discharge--which will total an estimated 600 million gallons--should be completed by Thursday or Friday and the river cleared for drinking in seven days.

People living along the river, meanwhile, were asked to limit use of toilets, showers and kitchen disposals to reduce the amount of wastewater in the sewage system.