Local News in Brief : 3 Waste Disposal Plans Under Study

A committee studying alternative sewer plans for Malibu is considering three disposal systems for the coastal community that would cost $50 million less than the plan introduced by Los Angeles County last year.

The proposals, outlined in preliminary reports presented to the committee this week, would allow most residents to continue to use septic tanks. But residents in the landslide areas, such as Big Rock Mesa, would be able to hook into a system in which their effluent would be pumped to a central disposal area in Malibu’s Civic Center.

The Civic Center area would require its own small-scale sewer system to handle the waste water from downtown businesses, restaurants, large apartment complexes and excess sewage from Pepperdine University. The cost of the proposed systems is estimated at $34 million, compared to the $86-million regional sewer the county proposed last October to build along the coast.

In addition, the systems can be installed in a matter of months, compared to the three to five years estimated by the county to install the regional plan, according to committee members.

The committee, which was formed in November after more than 1,000 angry Malibu residents asked county supervisors to reject the $86-million sewer plan, is still studying ways to finance the proposed systems, including issuing assessment bonds.