Malibu advances $125-million sewer pipeline project to support post-fire rebuilding

The Malibu City Council has directed staff to move forward with a two-step voting process for a proposed $125 million wastewater collection system intended to serve fire-damaged beachfront properties along Pacific Coast Highway. 

The 5.5-mile sewer project would connect approximately 461 residential and commercial properties between Carbon Beach Terrace and Getty Villa Drive to the Los Angeles Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant. The area was heavily impacted by the January 2025 Palisades Fire, and city officials say the new collection system would allow property owners to rebuild without relying on individual septic systems.

Under the proposed approach, affected property owners would first vote on funding roughly $10 million to $12 million for design and engineering. A second vote would later determine whether to proceed with full construction, estimated at $125 million. The project would be financed through an assessment district, with voting weighted based on each property’s share of the total assessment.

City officials said the centralized sewer system could reduce long-term environmental risks and support ocean water quality while offering cost savings compared to rebuilding private septic systems. If approved, the project would take approximately four to five years to complete, with the final decision resting with property owners within the proposed assessment district.