Thanks to the environmentally conscious members of the hotel and motel industry in Orange County, hotels and motels representing 70 percent of the rooms are now participating in a water efficiency program to help protect Orange County’s environment. Since its inception in 1999, 241 hotels and motels, or 30,864 guest rooms, have joined the water efficiency effort led by Orange County Water District, with participation continuing to grow. Offered free-of-charge to the hotels and motels, this program is sponsored by Orange County Water District in conjunction with the Municipal Water District of Orange County and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

The water conservation program – designed specifically for hotels and motels – offers free laminated towel rack hangers or bed cards which ask hotel and motel guests who spend more than one night to consider using their towels and bed linens more than once. In addition, hotels and motels who sign up for the program also receive a free bilingual instructional video for use in training their housekeeping staff. This program allows the guests and the hotel or motel to be environmentally aware while reducing water use, lowering costs, saving energy and reducing pollution.

"We have received numerous comments from guests who appreciate the effort put forth with this program," wrote Cheryl Terry of Tropicana Inn & Suites in Anaheim. "We look forward to another year of helping water efficiency in Orange County."

Hotels and motels participating in this program represent 28 cities in Orange County. To their credit, 38 hotels and motels, including Motel 6, Disneyland, Hilton, Marriott and Holiday Inn Hotels, have already been participating in other water-saving programs helping raise Orange County’s program participation to over 70 percent.

Although this program is only offered free-of-charge to Orange County hotels and motels, interest has spread across the country. As a leader in water conservation in Orange County, OCWD has been able to use its knowledge and experience with its own program to help hotels and motels in other counties and states start programs of their own. Orange County Water District continues to promote the program to hotels and motels in Orange County and looks forward to the participation of 100% of the hotels and motels.

Hotels and motels interested in showing their environmental awareness should call (714) 378-3221 for more information or to order the conservation cards.