Malibu Approves Plan for Wastewater Plant

Heal the Bay policy analyst Peter Shellenbarger reports on promising developments to clean up Malibu’s water pollution.

Jan. 16, 2015 — Malibu is one of the most breathtaking and desirable places to live in Southern California, but it has a dirty little secret – septic systems in and around its cultural center are fouling nearby coastal waters.  Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon, and the surrounding ocean, including Surfrider Beach, are critically polluted and numerous studies point to septic systems as a major contributor. Swimmers who recreate in these waters run the risk of all kinds of illnesses.

Heal the Bay has called for the Malibu Civic Center’s septic systems to be replaced by a centralized wastewater treatment facility for over a decade.  It has been a long and bumpy road, with officials complaining about costs and some residents worried about the specter of development if sewers are put in. But our advocacy is finally starting to yield tangible results.

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted a Septic Prohibition in 2009 that requires the phasing out by 2019 of all septic systems in the Malibu Civic Center Area (think Malibu Pier, Pepperdine, Malibu Bluffs Park). Earlier this week, the Malibu City Council unanimously certified the Civic Center Wastewater Treatment Facility Final Environmental Impact Report.  Improved water quality in the Civic Center Area depends on this project, which could be funded by an assessment on property owners or a loan from the state to the city.

While this is good news, the Malibu City Council’s certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report is just one piece of the puzzle that needs to be completed before the facility can break ground, hopefully by early next year. More permitting from various bodies awaits, and the city must determine the final funding mechanism. Stay tuned.