Sonoma Water is an active participant in the 2026 Update of the Sonoma County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, a collaborative regional effort led by the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management that assembles the hazard and risk assessments and mitigation actions for 22 jurisdictions.
Explore more about this plan here: Sonoma County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan - 2026 Update
Sonoma Water Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
The Sonoma County Water Agency has released its updated Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), which was approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on September 19, 2024. The LHMP creates a blueprint for reducing the damage to Sonoma Water’s infrastructure from natural disasters, such as floods, droughts, fires, and earthquakes. To review the LHMP and provide input, see below.
A Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) forms the foundation for a community's long-term strategy to reduce disaster losses and break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage. The planning process is as important as the plan itself and must include public and stakeholder involvement. LHMPs are public documents that create a framework for risk-based decision-making to reduce damage to lives, property, and the economy from future disasters. Hazard mitigation is sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and their property from hazards. The federal government passed the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, which encourages and rewards pre-disaster planning at all levels of local and state government. FEMA utilizes LHMPs to issue grant funding for pre-disaster and hazard mitigation projects.
Since 2004, the Sonoma County Water Agency has initiated a natural hazard reliability improvement program, which included finalizing Sonoma Water’s first LHMP in 2008.
Sonoma Water must update its LHMP every five years to ensure it remains relevant to current events and system conditions and to meet regulations set forth by FEMA. In particular, staff will review Sonoma Water’s vulnerabilities and risks, as well as the prioritized listing of hazard mitigation projects.
View the 2024 Sonoma Water Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
Related Resources
Russian River County Sanitation District - Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
Every five years, the Russian River County Sanitation District must review and revise its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan to continue to be eligible for mitigation project grant funding. The previous plan was approved by FEMA on April 16, 2018.
Our staff determined that consolidating all local hazard mitigation plans into one plan would be a more cost-effective approach. Therefore, we are merging the Local hazard mitigation plan for Russian River County Sanitation District into Sonoma Water's Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Documents
As of 2023, the RRCSD LHMP has been merged into the Sonoma Water LHMP.
2018 RRCSD Final Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
About the District
The Russian River County Sanitation District began operations in 1983 and serves 3,214 Equivalent Single-Family Dwellings within a 2,700-acre service area. The treatment plant has a design capacity of 710,000 gallons per day and treats wastewater to tertiary treatment levels and provides tertiary treated water for irrigation.
Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
The 2023 Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (SVCSD LHMP) was approved by FEMA on February 24, 2023. The approval of this plan ensures the District’s continued eligibility for grants under FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs, including the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program, and Flood Mitigation Assistance Program. All requests for funding, however, will be evaluated individually according to the specific eligibility, and other requirements of the particular program under which applications are submitted.
Also, approved hazard mitigation plans may be eligible for points under the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System (CRS). Additional information regarding the CRS can be found at https://www.fema.gov/floodplain-management/community-rating-system or through your local floodplain manager.
FEMA's approval of the 2023 SVCSD LHMP is for a period of five years. Prior to February 24, 2028, the District is required to review and revise its plan to reflect changes in development, progress in local mitigation efforts, and changes in priorities, and resubmit it for approval in order to continue to be eligible for mitigation project grant funding.
View the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District 2023 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
About the District
The Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District serves a 4,500-acre service area and provides tertiary-level treatment with a design capacity of 3,000,000 gallons per day (average daily dry weather flow). Between May 1 and October 30, recycled water is used for irrigation and wetland habitat enhancement; between November 1 and April 30, recycled water is discharged into Schell Slough or Hudeman Slough.
Contact Us
Submit questions or comments by sending an email to LHMP@scwa.ca.gov.
Document Accessibility Notice
Some of these documents are saved in Portable Document Format (PDF). We recommend you download Adobe® Reader®, a free software that allows you view and print PDF files.
For accessibility assistance with these documents, please contact the Sonoma County Water Agency at (707) 547-1900.