State approves Russian River bacteria plan; septic rules will change once it takes effect

By The Downspout · Posted Oct 16, 2026 · 3 min read

On August 18, 2026 the State Water Resources Control Board approved a plan to reduce bacteria in the Russian River watershed. It bans discharges of human and domestic animal fecal waste to the watershed's waters and replaces the region's own septic policy with the statewide one. It is not in effect yet, and no effective date is set.

Listen to this article

Read aloud by an AI voice.

What it covers

The plan is an amendment to the water quality plan for the North Coast Region. The bacteria limit (the TMDL) targets surface waters of the Russian River watershed that are used for water contact recreation, such as swimming. The ban on fecal waste discharges applies to waters of the state in the watershed. The regional septic policy that the amendment removes is titled as covering the Russian River watershed “including the Laguna de Santa Rosa.”

Several reaches of the Russian River watershed are on the state's list of waters impaired by pathogens. The plan sets a limit and a ban for those waters.

What happened

The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted the amendment on August 15, 2025 (Resolution R1-2025-0030). The State Water Board approved it on August 18, 2026 (Resolution 2026-0028). The minutes record a 5-0 vote on an uncontested item. No one commented.

The amendment does three things.

It adds the Action Plan for Pathogens in the Russian River Watershed.
It sets a watershed-wide ban on discharges of “waste containing fecal material from humans or domestic animals” to waters of the state, plus a bacteria limit for the watershed (a total maximum daily load, or TMDL).
It removes the regional policy on on-site waste treatment and disposal for the watershed, including the Laguna de Santa Rosa.

The plan lists these ways to comply with the ban: adequate treatment or management practices, a discharge permit, a waiver of permit requirements, or the terms of an agreement with local agencies. The North Coast Water Board's page lists a TMDL implementation agreement with Sonoma County among the documents.

The plan names these sectors: wastewater treatment plants, sewer systems, recycled water, biosolids, municipal stormwater, septic systems, dairies, ranches and hobby farms, and homeless encampments.

What it means for you

If you have a septic system in the watershed, the plan changes which rules apply to it. Once the plan takes effect, the regional siting and design requirements are removed. The statewide on-site wastewater policy applies instead, along with any approved local program. Until then, the regional policy stays in effect.

The plan also sets up basic operational inspections for septic systems. And it directs the North Coast Water Board to run an assessment program for systems not authorized under the statewide policy or an approved local program. The page does not say when owners would be contacted.

In the version of the plan staff sent to the regional board in August 2025, owners of cesspools and seepage pits would have to report them in writing. The same staff report says the proposal did not keep the old regional ban on cesspools and holding tanks. Staff said other tools could be used instead.

The August 2025 Action Plan says the Water Board anticipates meeting the bacteria objective within 20 years of the effective date. A correction memo to the regional resolution was issued April 28, 2026. We did not review it, so details from the 2025 version may have changed.

Our view: if you own a septic system, now is a good time to learn where your tank and leach field are and when it was last pumped. Records help with any future inspection. For the river, the plan's stated target is bacteria in waters used for swimming and other water contact.

This plan sets rules for the watershed. In Sonoma County, Permit Sonoma's septic program handles septic permits. The Action Plan also names Mendocino County Environmental Health for the part of the watershed in that county. See who to call about water in Sonoma County.

What happens next

The North Coast Water Board's page, last updated August 19, 2026, lists the amendment as pending approval by the state Office of Administrative Law. The resolution authorizes staff to send it to that office and to U.S. EPA, which must approve the TMDL. It says the amendment does not take effect until those approvals. None of the sources give a date for that.

To get notices, subscribe to the North Coast Water Board's email list and choose “Russian River TMDL.” Program contact: Lisa Bernard, Planning Unit Supervisor, 707-576-2677.

Where this came from

State Water Board Resolution 2026-0028 and the August 18, 2026 meeting minutes, the board's notice of that meeting, and the North Coast Water Board's Russian River pathogens page (updated August 19, 2026). The August 2025 details come from the Action Plan and staff summary report that went to the regional board. A correction memo to the regional resolution was issued April 28, 2026 and was not reviewed here.

Sources

Checked 2026-10-16. Rules and programs change. If something here is out of date, the source above wins. Spot an error? See our corrections policy.