Why does Pepperdine maintain a green lawn?
Pepperdine’s wastewater treatment system was established, because there was not a regional wastewater system available at the time. Pepperdine and the Malibu Country Estates paid for the construction of the treatment plant, which needed to dispose the resulting recycled water. The solution was to use it in irrigation, which provides a natural filtration system for the reclaimed water. We maintain a green lawn in order to utilize the resulting reclaimed water from treating our wastewater. For 37 years, the University has recycled all wastewater generated on the Malibu campus using tertiary treatment. The resulting recycled water is used for over 95% of campus irrigation, which would otherwise require drinking or potable water. With the completion of the Elkins Auditorium Expansion in August 2009, our reclaimed water use on campus will account for 98-99% of our campus irrigation. Since 1987, Pepperdine University has also operated an irrigation monitoring program specifically designed to
