The water district has consistently worked to minimize pollution and cost. I will support appropriate and cost effective action if ongoing studies show that the district can help to improve the quality of Malibu Creek and Lagoon.
The 80,000 people now living in our watershed are impacting the environment. Since the district treats the sewage for most of the households it is responsible for disposal of the resulting liquids and solids. Recycled water is cleaned to drinking water standards and used for irrigation. Biosolids are converted to high grade compost. By doing this the district turns waste into useful products. During the wet months when there is little irrigation and the demand for reclaimed water is low the excess is discharged into Malibu Creek. There has been controversy over this practice and charges that the low level nutrients in the water encourage algae growth in the stream and the lagoon at Malibu. Scientific studies are now being done to locate and quantify all the sources of nutrients and pollutants reaching the stream and the lagoon. When these studies are finished decisions will have to be made on how to remove or mitigate the problems. As a board member my experience with medical electronics enables me to be effective in evaluating the research and making the necessary decisions. My goal is to make sure that any action the district takes will be appropriate and cost effective.
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