But like most cities, when somebody from the outside tells them to do something, they bristle up and look resistant. Segel said septic systems should be licensed and inspected regularly to ensure they aren't leaking pathogens. But the regional board's report placed too little blame on the urban runoff coming from other communities farther up Malibu Creek, he said. Even so, it was his own environmental group that pushed the board to study the matter. That letter, as well as a report by the environmental group Heal the Bay that documented the board's lack of enforcement on such issues, prompted the study.
Malibu leaders call the allegations preposterous and are promising a fight.
Hasse said other major polluters include the Tapia treatment plant, storm runoff, and bird droppings and horse manure that get carried into Malibu Creek and the lagoon. But the city can't do it alone. The regional board estimates that there are 10,000 people in Malibu who rely on about 6,000 septic tanks. The remaining 2,000 residents use five small treatment plants, which have their own problems. Three were supposed to be temporary and have exceeded their design life, and some were built too close to stream beds and the ocean.