How Do You Improve Paradise?

MALIBU, Calif., June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Moving aggressively forward to improve water quality and protect public health at the world-renowned Paradise Cove, the City of Malibu today hosted a beach party and picnic to celebrate the launch of its Clean Ocean Project, an innovative facility to capture, clean and disinfect stormwater and urban runoff before it reaches the Pacific.

Youngsters frolicked in the surf and guests enjoyed a picnic provided by the Paradise Cove Beach Cafe at the press conference and beachfront celebration of the second of three stormwater treatment facilities in Malibu and the newest project in the City's more than $50 million commitment to clean water.

Paradise Cove is one of Malibu's most treasured spots, attracting thousands of families from throughout the region and tourists from around the world who come to enjoy its sandy beaches, world-class views and gentle waves. It's also been a favorite beach for local celebrities and a popular filming location for movies and television. Jim Rockford, the fictional private eye in "The Rockford Files," lived here. Audiences around the world have also seen it on "Baywatch," "Sea Hunt," "Charlie's Angels," "Gidget" and many more movies and television shows.

"For generations, this fabled cove has been making memories for all who come here," said Malibu Mayor Jefferson Wagner at the press conference celebrating the Clean Ocean Project's launch. "So how could we possibly improve on Paradise? The City of Malibu is making Paradise even better with its Paradise Cove Clean Ocean Project. This project will improve ocean water quality and protect public health for generations to come."

The Paradise Cove Clean Ocean Project is designed to handle the heaviest rainstorms by capturing, cleaning and disinfecting up to 1 million gallons of stormwater and urban runoff per day from Ramirez Creek and the surrounding watershed. The $1 million project has three different filtration systems to efficiently remove trash, sediment and bacteria from stormwater and urban runoff before any of it reaches the ocean. The City of Malibu and the State Water Resources Control Board provided the funding for the project. The state funds came from the Clean Beaches Initiatives grants program funded by Proposition 40.

Heal the Bay – the nonprofit organization that rates beaches based on their ocean water quality – singled this project out for praise in its annual Beach Report Card this year. With the completion of the Clean Ocean Project, Heal the Bay said it expects Paradise Cove to get a grade of A "well into the future."

With its more than $50 million commitment to improving ocean water quality and protecting public health, Malibu is the only city in the state that will have three stormwater treatment facilities: The Paradise Cove Clean Ocean Project, the Marie Canyon project that went into operation three years ago and Legacy Park that will begin operating later this year.

At Marie Canyon, the City worked together with the County of Los Angeles to create a system that can filter and treat up to 100 gallons per minute of dry and wet weather runoff. The Marie Canyon facility uses ultraviolet radiation to kill bacteria in stormwater and urban runoff and then returns the clean water to the creek, which empties into the ocean. This system also won praise in this year's Heal the Bay Beach Report Card.

Later this year, the City of Malibu will celebrate another important milestone in its clean water program, the launch of Legacy Park, one of the most ambitious and innovative stormwater and urban runoff projects in all of California.

Legacy Park will transform 15 acres in the heart of Malibu into a central park and an environmental cleaning machine, capable of capturing more than 2 million gallons of stormwater per day for treatment and disinfection. Much of the treated stormwater will be re-used to irrigate the park.

The City is also moving ahead with a centralized wastewater treatment facility. It has authorized $2.6 million dollars for engineering design and environmental reports for a Civic Center centralized wastewater treatment facility.  Significant progress has been made on a design that focuses on the highest impact commercial areas of the Civic Center.

"Clearly, Malibu is leading the way in investing in groundbreaking new projects that will improve ocean water quality and protect the health of all who come to our beaches," said Mayor Wagner. "We have already seen improved ocean water quality along many of our beaches. We expect to see even more dramatic improvements in water quality with the launch of the Paradise Cove Clean Ocean Project and with Legacy Park's opening later this year. Malibu is on the move for a cleaner and healthier future for the City and for the millions who come here from around the world to visit our world-class beaches."

The City of Malibu, incorporated on March 28, 1991, is a dedicated steward of its 21 miles of coastline along the Pacific Ocean. Located in Northwest Los Angeles County, the City has a population of 12,575. For more information, please visit http://www.ci.malibu.ca.us/.

Event photos available upon request.

SOURCE The City of Malibu