Proposed Old Topanga Sewer Line To Get Environmental Study

A $100,000 contract was awarded to a consulting firm by the City Council on Tuesday to conduct an environmental impact report for a potential sewer line in the Old Topanga neighborhood.

City staff was also directed to determine how much it would cost homeowners to connect to the sewer line if it were to be constructed.

The motion passed 3-2 with Councilmembers Mary Sue Maurer and James Bozajian voting in opposition.

An effort to bring a sewer line to Old Topanga began last August when the council requested a survey of how septic systems in Calabasas were performing. The results of that survey convinced some councilmembers that the neighborhood was in need of a sewer line.

Thirty-three of the 70 septic systems inspected so far were categorized as "major system failures," meaning that they could be broken and leaking, according to a presentation by city staff on Tuesday.

Seven of the 41 septic systems in Old Topanga were reported as major failures, according to June 9 staff report.

Some of those with failing septic systems have been paying for weekly, bi-weekly or monthly pumping as mandated by the city following inspection.

The number of failing systems was a motivator for Councilman Jonathan Wolfson to contract an environmental study.

"This has been a lengthy process … we need to find out what would be the impact on the city," he said.

Rincon Consultants, Inc. will conduct the 10-month environmental study.

Bozajian has been opposed to the idea since it was initially brought up. He shares the concern with some Old Topanga residents that a sewer line would lead to overdevelopment of the area.

"It will be transformed from a semi-rural community to one where homes are built on all lots, that's something I can't support," he said.

Maurer said a better option would be to rehabilitate all of the septic systems.

But Sparky Cohen, a code enforcement officer with the city, said doing so could cost each homeowner tens of thousands of dollars.

Maurer added the $100,000 to be allocated for the study could be split into low-interest rate loans to help homeowners get their septic systems repaired.

Maurer said another reason why she was opposed to approving the contract was because financially, the timing was not ideal for the city to be spending $100,000 on an environmental impact report.

But Mayor Barry Groveman said he did not want those with failing septic systems to wait any longer than they already have to and pay for additional pumping when there could be a sewer line in place.

"They're going to go bankrupt," he said.

Public Works Director Robert Yalda said the earliest a sewer line could be installed would be sometime in 2012.

No estimate of how much it would cost homeowners to hook up to the sewer line was provided during the meeting. However, Yalda said that's something he will look into as part of an economic study and present to the council at a later date.

The cost to connect to a sewer line could vary greatly and would be contingent on the distance one lives from the line, Yalda added.

Grants the help fund the construction of a sewer line will be researched as part of the economic study, he said.

The environmental and economic studies will be conducted concurrently.