Russian River sewer plant to get $4 million upgrade

<p>The sewage treatment plant serving part of the Russian River area will be upgraded with a state-of-the-art ultraviolet light treatment system to replace the use of chlorine.</p><p>It is being required by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board to eliminate problems from 2008 and 2009 when treated effluent did not meet standards on 21 occasions.</p><p>The Sonoma County Water Agency's $4 million project is being financed by the state Water Resources Control Board, with a $2 million loan and a $2 million grant.</p><p>The water agency operates the Russian River County Sanitation District, which has 3,200 residential and commercial hookups in the Guerneville, Guernewood Park, Vacation Beach and Rio Nido areas.</p><p>The cost of repaying the loan, about $4 per customer, is built into the customers' current sewage rates, spokesman Brad Sherwood said.</p><p>Kent Gylfe, a water agency engineer, said the ultraviolet light treatment will disinfect the water to higher standards without the harmful byproducts from the use of chlorine.</p><p>Construction is expected to start next month and take a year.</p><p>The plant treats 300,000 gallons per day. The treated wastewater is used during the summer to irrigate the Northwood Golf Course and nearby forests, but is discharged into the Russian River during the fall and winter.</p>