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Santa Rosa settles Clean Water Act claim with California River Watch, agrees operational commitments and $40,000 payment
Summary
The city agreed to operational commitments and a $40,000 payment to California River Watch to resolve a notice of intent to sue under the Clean Water Act concerning sanitary sewer overflows from the Laguna treatment and collection system. The council was briefed on the settlement conditions and record-keeping/training obligations.
The Santa Rosa City Attorney reported that the city reached a settlement with California River Watch after receiving a May 2025 notice and intent to sue under the Federal Clean Water Act tied to alleged sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) from the Laguna Subregional Water Reclamation System and sewer collection system.
City Attorney Teresa Stricker told the council the city denies River Watch's allegations and emphasized Santa Rosa's comparatively low SSO rate — “fewer than 1 SSO per 100 miles of sewer, while the regional average is almost 8” — but noted the Clean Water Act forbids even a single SSO and that the city settled to avoid protracted litigation and expenses. As part of the agreement the city will comply with operational conditions for six years including continued condition assessments of sewer lines near waterways, prioritization of repairs near waterways, continued reporting and response procedures for SSOs, staff training on reporting, and adherence to chemical use and recordkeeping to address root damage.
In exchange for a full release and a six-year covenant not to sue, the city agreed to pay River Watch $40,000 for attorney fees and costs; the payment will be made from the sewer enterprise fund. City Attorney Stricker said other litigation activity remains steady: the city has 34 current litigation matters and five cases on appeal.
Council accepted the city attorney report. Public comment during and after the report addressed unrelated operational and constituent issues but no amendments to the settlement were proposed in the meeting.
Why it matters: The settlement avoids litigation risk and binds the city to six years of operational and reporting commitments focused on preventing and better responding to SSOs; the payment will come from the sewer enterprise fund rather than the general fund.
