The spill was officially stopped at 6:50 a.m. Thursday, though warnings to stay out of the water remain in effect, according to Sonoma Water. District staff are now assessing the total volume of untreated wastewater released and are preparing reports for state regulatory agencies. Tiffen noted that a final estimate will not be available until those reports are submitted, adding that the massive volume of stormwater in the river makes testing for pathogens more difficult. “It’s complicated by the amount of storm water and how that would affect testing regardless of a spill,” Tiffen said. Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins said turbidity levels in the river were too high to deploy the facility’s ultraviolet sanitization system, which is used to disinfect the water.

Source: The Guardian January 09, 2026 00:53 UTC