In 2000, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 885 (Water Code § 13290) that required the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) to adopt regulations or standards for the permitting and operation of onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS).
- In 2012, these standards were adopted by the State Board, as the Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (Policy).
- In 2013, the Policy set minimum standards for OWTS and program administration of these systems by local agencies. As set forth in Tier 2 of the Policy, local agencies may establish their own standards for enforcement of OWTS as the Local Agency Management Program (LAMP).
- In 2016, the City submitted the LAMP to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board which was then approved in May 2018.
- On July 23, 2018, Malibu City Council adopted the LAMP.
Along with development of the LAMP, the City incorporated sections of the California Plumbing Code, Los Angeles County Building Code, and the Local Coastal Program into the Malibu Municipal Code related to enforcement of OWTS. In addition to the LAMP and code amendments, the City designed an OWTS Manual to provide guidelines for siting, design, installation, and operation of OWTS.