ASABE Technical Library - Abstract
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IMPLEMENTING EPA ONSITE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES IN MALIBU, CALIFORNIA. A CASE HISTORY
Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org
Citation: Paper number 701P0104, . (doi: 10.13031/2013.15835)Authors: B. F. Douglas, V. Peterson, C. George, L. Young, N. Hantzsche
Keywords: Onsite, wastewater, decentralized, management, coastal areas, community, California, information systems, municipal
Management of onsite wastewater is an important local issue. The United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has outlined five models of onsite management in guidelines for local
communities to decide which level and which components of each level are appropriate for local
circumstances. The City of Malibu, California, is implementing the first three of these models
(inventory of onsite system, management through maintenance contracts, and management
through operating permits) on a risk-based approach. The City of Malibu has a population of
approximately 13,000 people with 23 miles of coastline and world renowned beaches. There are
roughly 6,000 onsite systems in Malibu located along the coast, in canyons, or upland sites.
Approximately 400 of these systems are either commercial or serving multifamily (greater than 2
units) residential dwellings. Advanced treatment systems have been utilized within the past six
years and the city initially utilized a maintenance contract approach for managing these systems.
How does a community of this size effectively manage onsite systems and apply the EPA
guidelines? The City of Malibu has made those decisions and is currently in the second year of
implementing their management program.
The City is now implementing a state grant funded program to improve coordination between the
Regional Board and the City of Malibu using shared information and promoting better
communication regarding onsite wastewater treatment systems where there is overlapping
jurisdiction. The City is developing a web-based information management program to facilitate
the process of managing onsite systems.
Malibu has three levels of onsite wastewater treatment system management: Model 1 (inventory
and voluntary homeowner management) for all onsite systems in the City; Model 2 (maintenance
contracts) for existing and functional advanced treatment systems serving single family and
duplex residential properties; Model 3 (operating permits) for all commercial and multifamily
occupancies and new, repaired or renovated advanced treatment systems. The goal is to phase out
the maintenance contract program, and eventually have operating permits for all systems based
on risk. This approach can be replicated by other communities especially in coastal areas where
the need for water quality protection is high and onsite systems are viewed as a long term
solution for wastewater management.