[Editor’s note: The following is a comment from malibutimes.com in response to the article “Study: Overhaul of Malibu water system to cost $266 million,” published March 28.]
Malibu’s electrical distribution system is also in bad shape.
We have to face reality. Water systems do not last forever. And the earth moves in Malibu. There are places in eastern Malibu where the water pipes are literally keeping Pacific Coast Highway from sliding into the ocean, according to Caltrans engineers I’ve talked to.
Now, add in the USGS prediction that the Malibu Coastal Fault has a 35 percent chance of unleashing a magnitude 6.5 quake within the next 30 years.
Can you imagine a 6.5 quake with loss of power, loss of water, and then brush quakefires? Run to the beach.
Our home values are at risk.
Our lives are at risk.
We have a hard decision ahead of us. Bonds will allow us to finance the costs over the decades, just like buying a house.
But there were bitter battles fought in the 1950s about building the water system in the first place. “It will promote growth… we’re doing just fine with well water… can’t afford it,” and so on.
Hans Laetz