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Prospect of sewers strikes horror in rustic Malibu

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 19, 2008 at 3:23 pm

From the Associated Press:

“Sewer” has always been a dirty word in this celebrity-studded coastal community, which grew up believing that building an underground maze of plumbing would invite the sprawl that covers much of the rest of Southern California. But the city, which has long relied on septic tanks over sewer pipes, may soon be forced to acquiesce. After a prolonged battle over bacterial pollution in nearby waters, the Regional Water Quality Control Board plans to vote Thursday on a proposed ban on septic tanks in the heart of Malibu — a move some fear could forever alter the rustic character by encouraging rampant development.

“If you come to Malibu you can look up and see the hills still, unlike cities where it’s covered in development,” Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich said. “For people who live here and visit, it’s a sanctuary. We’re famous for our beautiful beaches.”

But those beaches can harbor unhealthy bacteria as human waste leaks from septic leach fields into groundwater, then trickles into creeks and makes its way to the sea. Even visiting surfers in Malibu know to keep their mouths closed when riding the breaks at famous Surfrider Beach — one of the state’s most popular, scenic and polluted stretches of coast.

“People are always getting sick — sinus infections, stomach, gastrointestinal viruses, and you just chalk it up to this is where I surf,” said Joe Melchione of the Malibu Surfing Association.

Read more from the Associated Press by clicking here.

November 19, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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