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Malibu’s Civic Center Wastewater Treatment Facility Passes Major Milestone With Approval of Assessment District

(Malibu, CA) – Malibu’s environmentally friendly facility to treat and reuse wastewater in the Civic Center area passed another major milestone as the Assessment District was approved by Civic Center property owners on January 25.

“I commend the property owners who had the courage and the vision to support the assessment district It will be one of the most advanced water recycling facilities in the nation, enabling us to protect the natural environment that we value so highly, while meeting state mandates to end the use of septic systems in the Civic Center area,” said Mayor Laura Rosenthal.

The ballots from 50 of the 57 properties were tallied on Monday, January 25 at City Hall. Over 98% of the owners voted in favor of forming the assessment district and fund the $57 million project.

The City worked with a large stakeholders group consisting of scientists, engineers, environmentalist, the State Waterboard, property owners, and community organizations to ensure that it is as clean, safe, efficient and green as possible.

The facility will use membrane filtration, biological reactors, and ultraviolet light to treat the wastewater and turn it into usable Title 22-complaint recycled water. Up to 70 million gallons per year of recycled water will be generated from the proposed facility. The recycled water can replace potable water that is currently used to irrigate City parks and Civic Center property landscaping. The recycled water infrastructure will eventually enable homes and businesses to also use the recycled water for irrigation.

“Having the recycled water to use for irrigation, replacing potable water, will provide a crucial water savings during the historic drought that we’re dealing with,” Mayor Rosenthal said. “Cities across the state are moving in this direction, and Malibu is ahead of the curve.”

The project is scheduled to begin construction in May and begin operation in late 2017.

The CCWTF was designed in response to regulatory actions taken in 2011 by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and the State Water Resources Control Board to prohibit discharges from onsite septic systems in Malibu’s Civic Center area.

The CCWTF will be located on a 4.2-acre parcel just north of Pacific Coast Highway along Civic Center Way, where an older existing treatment facility now sits.

The next steps will include finalizing all of the state grants and loans which will aid in reducing the overall cost of the treatment facility. For more information, visit www.malibucity.org/ccwtf [/ccwtf] .

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