ANAHEIM : Disneyland Hotel Goes With the Flow

Anaheim will use the Disneyland Hotel as the site for a pilot project that will determine how tourism affects the city’s water supply and how to best encourage visitors to conserve water.

City utility department officials say tourist lodgings consume a lot of water, which could be a particularly acute problem in Anaheim, where there are about 18,000 guest rooms in hotels and motels.

Under the pilot program--the county’s first study of water use and conservation in the hotel industry--the city will help pay for installation of 304 ultra low-flush toilets in rooms at the Disneyland Hotel. In return, hotel officials will monitor those rooms, comparing them to 304 rooms with standard toilets.

In addition, the Orange County Sanitation Districts and the Metropolitan Water District will share installation costs with the city, and will monitor the rooms for their own needs.

Ultra low-flush toilets save up to five gallons per flush, and can help reduce water demand and sewage treatment costs.

The hotel, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Co., will provide occupancy information such as the number of guests and service problems with the water-saving toilets.

The Disney company will be paid $30,400, with each of the three public agencies contributing $10,133 toward the cost of installation. The hotel will pay for any additional costs.

The agreement between the four groups will be in effect for one year.