RACHEL JOHNSON
Staff Writer
After months of anticipation, the Malibu Civic Center Stormwater Treatment Facility has been completed. A dedication ceremony took place at the location on the north side of Civic Center Way, just west of Cross Creek Road, on Friday at 10 a.m.
“The facility will process up to 1,400 gallons per minute of stormwater runoff from the Civic Center Way/Cross Creek area,” according to the City of Malibu Web site. The runoff substances will be transported from this area to the newly built treatment center to be disinfected. An ozone treatment process will be used to disinfect the water in order to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s guidelines about water quality.
While the area used for Malibu’s annual Chili Cook-Off is being transformed into a park, the treated water will be used for landscaping purposes. When water flow is low, the stormwater from the facility will prove useful in aiding in landscaping procedures. After the park, named Legacy Park, is developed, the water will be used for irrigation.
“The purpose of this project is to reduce the amount of bacteriological contamination entering Malibu Lagoon and Surfrider Beach and to reduce the number of beach postings and closures,” according to the Web site. Representatives from health services attended the dedication.
GB Cooke was the construction contractor hired to install the main piping and electrical work and according to Brandie Sanchez, administrative assistant to the Public Works Department, the project cost $5.3 million in city grants.
The ceremony on Friday took place to commemorate the area and reveal it to the audience as a completed work. Former Mayor Andy Stern opened the ceremony by welcoming the audience and explaining the purpose and benefits of the stormwater treatment center.
A variety of speakers followed after the mayor to express thanks to the public and to encourage residents to support the efforts being made to effectively reuse the water. Speakers included senator Sheila Kuehl, California State Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, State Water Resources Control Board Representative Laura Peters, and Representatives from the California Coastal Conservancy, the Heal the Bay environmental group of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Restoration Commission.
Sanchez estimated that 75 to 100 people were in attendance at the dedication ceremony.
“There were people from multiple agencies, from the cities of Calabasas and Agoura Hills, as well as from the fire department, the Coast Guard and health services,” Sanchez said. “Residents were in attendance as well.”
The treatment center is very important in not only providing water during development and landscaping of the Chili Cook-Off area but will prove to be essential for irrigation purposes when Legacy Park is completed as well, officials said.
02-08-2007