RACHEL JOHNSON
Assistant Perspectives Editor
Malibu is notorious for more than its beauty. There is also a disgusting sewage smell that permeates the city. Students have noticed the unique odor on campus near Firestone Fieldhouse, in the dorms near Dewey and in the apartment complex along Pacific Coast Highway fondly nicknamed “the Stinkies.”
The smell originates from Malibu’s septic systems, the means by which waste is stored within Malibu city limits. Unlike most other cities, which use sewage systems to get rid of waste, Malibu remains loyal to the use of septic tanks, which essentially hold the waste in large tanks instead of allowing it to flow through pipes.
There are approximately 2,400 septic tanks in our coastal city, according to an Oct. 4, 2006, article on abcnews.com by Noaki Schwartz,.
L.A. County originally governed present-day Malibu and to incorporate the new city, county members wanted to install a sewer system. Political uproar over the issue resulted because many residents opposed the idea, mainly because they feared that a sewer would lead to massive growth and development of the city, similar to what occurred in the Pacific Palisades and Hollywood Hills.
In 2006, controversy arose over the use of septic tanks in Malibu. They are not as environmentally friendly as sewage systems. Because they accumulate waste over time, during heavy periods of rain the waste can seep out of the ground and eventually run into the ocean. Bacteria levels in the ocean usually rise to a dangerous level after heavy rainstorms, Schwartz reported, which can lead to gastrointestinal illnesses, among other health problems.
New disinfection systems have been implemented in septic tanks, which is a great improvement over conventional septic tanks. There is a lot more treatment that is provided with the newer systems so that waste does not enter the ocean. City officials have also created programs that are addressing management of the systems to make sure that private septic tanks aren’t polluting the ocean.
The City Council has also formed a Clean Water Team to clean up coastal waters. The goal, according to the city’s Web site, is to keep storm drains clean by eliminating dry weather flow.
Though rains will cause the septic tanks to seep liquids, the Clean Water Team is attempting to prevent water and other pollutants from flowing down the drains when the weather is clear, resulting in the reduction of waste found in the ocean.
The Malibu Public Works department sweeps city streets to keep debris from going down the drains and recycling programs have been implemented for residents to bring oils, paints and other harmful materials to be disposed of without worrying about them ending up in the ocean.
Though there are attempts being made to preserve the ocean, the fact still remains that septic tank usage is detrimental to our city.
Heal the Bay, an environmental nonprofit group in Santa Monica, conducts a yearly “Beach Report Card” to rate the quality of Southern California’s beaches. Surfrider Beach in Malibu was ranked fifth on the “Beach Bummer” list, meaning the beach and ocean were among the most polluted in the region.
Something must be done to protect Malibu’s natural beauty and replacing septic tanks with a sewage system would be an excellent start.
10-04-2007
