The City’s Environmental Services Division oversees a variety of activities that help reduce or eliminate pollutants from storm water and urban runoff, and enhance the water quality of our local watersheds. These activities include stream restorations, water quality monitoring, capital improvements, public education and outreach, and regulatory activities.
Las Virgenes Creek Restoration
Between 2003 and 2008, the City actively engaged in the Las Virgenes Creek Restoration Project, a project that restored 440 linear feet of a concrete channelized streambed to a natural condition. The Las Virgenes Creek is a part of the Malibu Creek Watershed which provides habitat for numerous animal species including Southern Steelhead Trout, the Southwestern Pond Turtle, Arroyo Toad, Pacific Tree Frog, American Goldfinches, Song Sparrows, Coyotes, and Mountain Lions. The City of Calabasas has sought funding from numerous State and Federal agencies for the restoration effort. In 2003, the City Council approved a conceptual design with final construction completed in Spring of 2008. The project has successfully achieved the following goals:
- Enhanced Wildlife Habitat
- Public Outreach and Education
- Footpath and Trail Connection
- Enhanced Water Quality
- Increased Aesthetics
Water Quality Monitoring
The City of Calabasas has joined forces with the cities of Agoura Hills, Malibu, Westlake Village, Hidden Hills, Thousand Oaks, and the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura in a comprehensive effort to improve the quality of our local watersheds. The primary goal of the monitoring activities is to help give stakeholders in the region a better understanding of the watershed and the pollutants that threaten it. These goals are being accomplished on an ongoing basis by collecting water quality data. The City of Calabasas collects and documents information on pollutants and other problems that impair the quality of Malibu Creek and its tributary streams.
The water quality monitoring program provides local stakeholders with water quality conditions, identification of potential point and non-point pollution sources, and allows for prioritization of areas of concern in the North Santa Monica Bay Watersheds (NSMBW). The monitoring locations are chosen to represent a variety of land uses so that data collected would lead to a comprehensive understanding of how pollutants are affecting basic stream health and quality throughout the watershed.
Water Quality Mitigation
The City is actively engaged in a number of capital improvements and activities to help mitigate adverse impacts to the quality of our local watershed. These projects include:
- Installation of a $600,000 bio-filtration and remediation device over a 102” storm drain line to filter runoff before being discharged into Las Virgenes Creek. The storm drain line captures all dry weather runoff from the Calabasas landfill area and from several residential and commercial neighborhoods. The purpose of the device is to divert dry weather runoff through a percolation chamber. The construction of the project began in March 2007 and was completed on November 2007. The final report is now being prepared to be submitted to the State Water Resource Control Board.
- Installation of three Continuous Deflector Separation (CDS) units over major storm drain lines to capture trash and sediment and prevent pollution entering into creeks. The City collects hundreds of pounds of trash and sediment and prevents it from entering into creeks. The City cleans out these devices on a quarterly basis.
- Engaging in a major public education campaign on reducing run-off and picking up after pets. The City has designed and established a dog park called “Bark Park”. This park has a natural pond to capture and treat the polluted water from dog waste.
- Installation of dog waste pick up bags and trash cans throughout the City.
- Installation of trash cans at all bus stops.
- Two annual creek clean-ups are held for Las Virgenes Creek. On average 100 citizens attend each event and collect hundreds of pounds of trash. Last year, the City even removed a car frame from the creek bank.
- Production of a 26 minute documentary called “Clean Water Act and Our Backyards,” through which the City educates and involves the public on means readily available to the public to prevent pollution, reduce runoff and protect storm drains.
- Placement of 3,200 storm drain markers on all catch basin inlets through the City. The markers carry the following message: “No Dumping-Drains to Creek.” These markers are more effective and more durable than traditional stenciling by paint.
- Production of a 66 page booklet called “Living Lightly Guide in Our Watersheds” containing information and educational materials on various water-related issues such as urban-runoff, water conservation, landscaping, waste water, beaches and bays, etc. In Fall 2005, City of Calabasas distributed a copy of this colorful booklet to every individual residence and business in Calabasas at the cost of $35,000. Currently, every new resident receives a copy of the Guide from the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District.
Urban Runoff Mitigation
The City implements a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program that uses an integrated approach to regulate storm water discharges from industrial facilities, construction sites, and municipal systems. This includes two units that issue and enforce Storm Water National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. These units are Storm Water Permitting and Storm Water Compliance and Enforcement.
Watershed Regulation
The Watershed Regulatory Section implements the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting for the region. The Municipal Permitting Unit develops NPDES permits for discharges from POTWs to surface water and water reclamation requirements (WRRs) and waste discharge requirements (non-Chapter 15 discharges to land, WDRs) for POTWs that also hold NPDES permits.
The Industrial Permitting unit writes or updates permits for non-POTW facilities, such as refineries, power plants, manufacturing, and other industries with discharges to surface waters within the region. Often, certain classes of discharges are identified and, where similar types of discharges occur from similar types of operations, general permits are developed to streamline the permitting process.
The General Permitting unit enrolls these similar categories of discharges under existing general permits. The categories being enrolled include construction dewatering without treatment; construction dewatering with treatment; hydrostatic test water; non-process wastewater; petroleum fuel cleanup; and, cleanup of volatile organic compounds.
