Fecal Bacteria Be Gone! Malibu is Cleaning up Paradise Cove

Despite its beauty and household name among local beaches, Paradise Cove has been one of the most polluted when it comes to water quality. Last year it received an F. Why? "High levels of fecal indicator bacteria," according to Heal the Bay's annual beach report card (eek!). But this year it jumped to a B, thanks to a wastewater treatment facility and sewers at Paradise Cove Mobilehome Park, the nonprofit says. And today, the city of Malibu launched a project that has officials hoping the grade will get a boost to an "A"

The $1 million Clean Ocean Project is a three-tiered filtration system that should remove trash, sediment and bacteria from stormwater and urban runoff before any of it reaches the ocean. During the heaviest of rainstorms, it's expected to capture, clean and disinfect up to 1 million gallons of stormwater and urban runoff per day from Ramirez Creek and the surrounding watershed.

Later this year, Malibu will launch the 15-acre Legacy Park, which is could capture up to 2 million gallons of stormwater per day for treatment and disinfection, sending the treated water back into the park's irrigation system. Also, a centralized wastewater treatment facility is in the works.