FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. -- The Board of Directors of the Orange County Water District has approved the districtÕs participation in an ultra-low-flush toile t conservation program that will replace 55,000 Orange County toilets per year with free, new, ultra-low-flush toilets. The program will help conserve 1,700 acre-feet of water each year Ð enough to serve about 13,000 Orange County residents.
The Water Use Efficiency Steering Committee, comprised of the Orange County Water District, Municipal Water District of Orange County, Orange County Sanitation District, and other cities and water districts in Orange County, developed the new program that encourages county residents to replace inefficient toilets. The program could eventually replace 900,000 residential toilets in Orange County, creating an annual savings of approximately 25,000 acre-feet of water per year.
"We are entering a new era in the water industry," said Irv Pickler, President of the Orange County Water District board of directors. "We can no longer count on new, large dams and canal systems of the past. The future of Orange CountyÕs water is water conservation, water purification and reuse, wat er transfers and groundwater storage. It is programs like this one that will help Orange County prepare for the future."
The current ultra-low-flush toilet program, administered by the Municipal Water District of Orange County, requires residents to pay $20 per toilet. Thanks to contributions by Orange County Water District and Orange County Sanitation District, the new program will provide the toilets at no cost to consumers.
OCWD will provide $15 toward each ultra low flush toilet. The Orange County Sanitation District would also provide $15 toward each toilet, and Metropolitan Water District (on behalf of Municipal Water District of Orange County) would provide $60 toward each toilet. The program will cost OCWD approximately $110,000 per year. The District, however, could conserve up to 1,275 acre-feet of water per year, which could eventually save the District about $190,000 each year.
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