Santa Monica : Waste-Water Measure Sought

The City Council voted Tuesday night to instruct City Atty. Robert Myers to draft an emergency waste-water control ordinance.

The ordinance would limit projected increases in the city’s annual waste-water flows resulting from new development projects that receive building permits after July 1.

The measure would restrict the city’s total annual waste-water increase to no more than 1.36% or about 43,000 gallons per day.

It may also require any new development of more than 150,000 square feet to install an on-site waste-water treatment system. The council instructed its staff to examine the possibility of reducing the square footage requirement since few developments scheduled for construction within Santa Monica are that large.

Developers who could offset their additions to the city’s waste water by installing water-conserving fixtures would be exempt from the ordinance. Some housing projects would also be exempt.

The waste-water permits, which would be issued every six months, would be granted to developers by the city on a first-come, first-served basis, except for designated “priority projects,” such as low and moderate income housing, shelters for the homeless, day-care centers and public or private schools.

The council’s action follows two emergency waste-water ordinances enacted by the city of Los Angeles.