Mayor Responds to Discussion of Imposition of a Septic System Ban

• RWQCB Says Curbs May Be Applied to Civic Center Area

BY BILL KOENEKER

Malibu city officials responded this week to the announcement that a proposed septic system ban in the Civic Center area will be discussed by the Regional Water Quality Control Board on Oct. 1.
The proposed action, according to a RWQCB staff memo, would affect existing and future on-site wastewater dischargers. Types of systems that could be prohibited range from passive systems with conventional septic tanks to active systems that more aggressively remove pollutant loads from sewage before any subsurface disposal takes place.
The prohibition could apply to systems that serve individual properties, as well as residential, commercial, industrial and publicly owned properties.
In a press release formally issued by City Manager Jim Thorsen, Mayor Andy Stern said the city shares the board’s vision and mandate for improving ocean water quality. “The City of Malibu has been moving responsibly and aggressively to improve water quality in our local waters. The health and safety of our families and visiting tourists is our top priority,” he said.
The regional board staff has indicated that prohibiting new septic systems and a ban against existing ones in five years would restore beneficial uses designated for groundwater, including Malibu Lagoon and nearby beaches.
Stern said the city is working toward a centralized wastewater system for the Civic Center. “Malibu authorized $2.6 million in January 2009 for design and engineering of a wastewater treatment facility,” the mayor stated.
The RWQC board staff in its technical reports indicated they had determined that pathogens from wastewaters migrate to source waters, and the levels of pathogens do not meet standards.
Stern said the city has authorized two that will help drive municipal wastewater solutions. “We are very disappointed the board is moving forward with a prohibition when we are on the doorsteps of determining real causes and developing real solutions, especially when this prohibition can consume limited city staff time and other resources that should be dedicated to improving water quality,” he said.
The mayor said that while the city is designing and planning such a system, it would be helpful if all stakeholders entered into a discussion about how to finance such a central wastewater system for the Civic Center area. “It will be an expensive undertaking that will require thoughtful input and consideration by the regional board, city leaders, local businesses and residents, environmental organizations and many others,” Stern noted.
Municipal officials point to Legacy Park as “the centerpiece” of the city’s $50 million commitment to clean water, describing it as one of the state’s “most innovative stormwater and urban runoff projects.”
Thorsen, Stern and other city officials insist the project will “transform 17 acres in the heart of Malibu into a central park that will serve as an environmental cleaning machine, capturing, cleaning and disinfecting up to 2.6 million gallons of stormwater and urban runoff.”