I’ve been reading about the septic ban with interest.
My husband and I were longtime residents of Malibu Road. Last year we sold our home and rented a house in the Knolls. I have long believed that septic tanks are safe. It never occurred to me that there are homeowners whose lack of responsibility regarding maintenance and a city that does not enforce codes can ruin it for the community.
Our rental home had been so poorly maintained I decided to have the septic tank inspected. Turned out the tank wasn’t connected and waste had been spilling onto the hillside. I did the wrong thing. The pump tech offered to connect the tank for cash and I let him. My husband was terminally ill and I didn’t have the patience for one more repair. I just wanted it fixed.
I contacted the homeowners who said, “Sorry, I hope the repair wasn’t too expensive.”
I called the City of Malibu to see if they wanted to test the soil, contact the homeowners, and request a cleanup. I was told on my third call that because the repair had already been completed, they had no interest.
I remember that about seven years ago we had to register our septic tank with the city. The fee was approximately $150. My understanding was that bi-annual inspections and registration were to begin. Nothing ever happened. My conclusion is that human waste is in the water, a few homeowners don’t care, but the city doesn’t really care either.
Shelley Schuster