ANAHEIM : Programs to Save Water, Power OKd

Toilets, shower heads and light bulbs are the targets of two Anaheim utility conservation programs that would pay customers to replace old fixtures with more efficient ones, reducing water and electricity usage in homes and businesses.

The separate programs, approved Tuesday night by the City Council, would also save customers about $4.7 million on their water and electricity bills over the next seven years, city officials said.

The toilet and shower program, believed to be the first rebate program of its kind in Orange County, would offer customers $100 rebates for replacing toilets and shower heads with low-volume fixtures that could save 322,550 gallons of water per day, said Ed Aghjayan, general manager of city’s Utilities Department.

The program’s goal is to upgrade 6,800 residences and 1,000 hotel bathrooms with the low-volume toilets and shower heads within a year.

With the council’s approval, Anaheim will contribute $316,000 to the $1.1-million project, with the remaining funds to come from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Sanitation Districts of Orange County.

“These are things that can be put in place and you can forget about them,” said Ray Merchant, Utilities Department spokesman. “You are not dealing with a change in lifestyle or a change in habits. It’s something that would continue to provide savings over the years.”

Older toilet fixtures typically use 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush and shower heads from 4 to 6 gallons per minute. City officials said newer models now can hold water use to 1.6 gallons per flush and about three gallons per minute in the shower.

Rebates would only be offered for changeover projects and not for fixtures in new construction. Merchant said that by January, all new construction projects in California will be required to use the low-volume fixtures.

The city’s “Lighting for Less” program encourages local businesses to replace existing lighting systems with fixtures that use up to 50% less power.

The $200,000 project is projected to save Anaheim 6.8 million kilowatt-hours per year--enough power to supply 1,200 homes.