A bird hunts for fish in the shallows at Malibu Lagoon State Beach. For years, environmentalists have contended that septic tanks were fouling the citys groundwater and, by extension, Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon and Santa Monica Bay. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
A man and child inch into the water at Surfrider Beach. Many surfers recounted stories of their encounters with polluted waves at the beach. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
Porta-Potties at Malibu Lagoon State Beach. Issues with septic systems closed the nearby restrooms. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
Tide pools at Malibu’s Surfrider Beach. Surfers and environmentalists have for years blamed septic tanks as a chief cause of ocean water pollution. Thursday, the regional water board voted to ban new septic systems, ending a long battle in the city. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
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Caitlin Smith, visiting from Pennsylvania, walks the tide pools at Malibu ‘s Surfrider Beach. Under the prohibition approved Thursday, no new septic systems will be allowed and owners of existing commercial and residential systems will have to halt discharges within the next decade. (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
