Four damaged sewer pipes near Lichau Creek in Penngrove get emergency repair

By The Downspout · Posted Nov 10, 2026 · 3 min read

Four sewer pipe sections near Lichau Creek in Penngrove failed inspection. Sonoma Water, the county agency that runs the sewer, declared an emergency on October 22 and picked a PVC liner repair. The cost is not known yet. The zone's budget "may not be sufficient."

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What happened

Sonoma Water, formally the Sonoma County Water Agency, runs the sewer pipes for Penngrove. In mid-October crews checked four sections of that sewer before the wet season. Sonoma Water calls them inverted siphons.

On about October 13, a camera showed one 6-inch cast iron pipe section with heavy corrosion and several small to medium holes. Crews isolated it. The camera could not get a clear view of the other three. Crews tested those under pressure on October 15. None passed.

On October 22, the Sonoma Water general manager declared an emergency. Normal contracting takes two to three months, and the agency said that was too slow. On October 27, the Board made a resolution finding that an emergency exists.

All four sections are near Lichau Creek. The staff report says the creek floods in large storms. It also says no active sewage spill and no significant water getting into the sewer was seen during the inspections. It warns: "As creek levels rise, water will enter the collection system through the compromised siphons, increasing the risk of wastewater overflows." In plain words, the risk is sewage overflowing when the creek rises.

Where it is and what it does

Penngrove is an unincorporated community in southern Sonoma County, outside any city. Its sewer service area is called the Penngrove Sanitation Zone. It is 475 acres and serves 556 equivalent single-family homes, which is how Sonoma Water counts sewer customers.

The zone is a collection system only. It has pipes and a lift station, which pumps sewage onward. It has no treatment plant. The sewage goes to the City of Petaluma for treatment.

The zone page says Sonoma Water's Board of Directors acts as the zone's board. The staff report is addressed to that Board. The item is on the Board of Supervisors agenda for November 17. The staff report does not give street locations for the four sections.

See it on a map: Penngrove Sanitation Zone, Penngrove.

The fix and the cost

Sonoma Water picked fold-and-form PVC, a plastic liner put inside the old pipe. The contractor is Miksis Services Inc. The staff report says its cleaning and inspection work was scheduled to start the week of November 2. It says Sonoma Water crews are clearing plants along the pipe easement, the strip of land the pipes run through, so the lining trucks can get in.

The full repair is not final. Staff are still looking at repair or replacement options. They say the full extent of the work is still being worked out.

The cost is not known yet. The zone's budget for this fiscal year "may not be sufficient." No extra money is requested now. If more is needed, Sonoma Water says it will return to the Board with a request. The report does not say how any extra cost would be paid for.

What it means for you

If you are on Penngrove sewer, the charge is on your property tax bill. The staff report does not say your charge will change. To ask about your parcel or bill, call Sonoma Water at 707-521-6215 and leave your name and address or parcel number. That is the sewer billing line on the zone page.

If you see sewage spilling, call the after-hours hotline on the zone page: 707-523-1070. For general questions, the front desk is 707-547-1900.

Rain also reaches the sewer from private property. Sonoma Water's spring 2026 newsletter says stormwater can enter through direct connections such as downspouts or uncapped cleanouts. A cleanout is an access opening on a sewer line. The newsletter says Petaluma treats the zone's sewage on a flow-based cost, so extra water raises the zone's treatment charges. If you are not sure whether your downspouts or cleanouts connect to the sewer, call 707-547-1900 and ask.

What happens next

The Water Agency Board is asked to receive the staff report and make findings to continue the emergency work. That vote has not happened yet. It is item 35 on the Board of Supervisors agenda for Tuesday, November 17, 2026, at 9 a.m. The staff report says the vote needs 4/5 of the Water Agency Board.

The general manager will report to the Board every 14 days until the repair is made and the conditions are safe.

Where this came from

Sonoma Water's staff report for the November 17, 2026 board meeting, the Board of Supervisors agenda for that meeting, Sonoma Water's Penngrove Sanitation Zone page, and the zone's spring 2026 newsletter.

Sources

Checked 2026-11-10. Rules and programs change. If something here is out of date, the source above wins. Spot an error? See our corrections policy.