Storyliving by Disney - a Disney-branded, master-planned home community

[TP2000]

I get that essentially this is the community reservoir, but all I see right now is: what a freaking waste of water. In the desert. In California. In wildifire season.

Just to clarify, this can't be a "reservoir" in the usual sense of the word, for the community to use for drinking or bathing. That lake is basically a giant swimming pool, with a sand beach, and is meant as recreation and aesthetic plussing. There's no way that water will ever end up in a tap or garden hose in a Cotino home.

The water used for homes, and even landscaping, comes from the usual sources (the Colorado River, California Water Project, Lake Shasta, etc.)from the city or county and is highly regulated.

This is essentially just a big pool, and it could never be used for human consumption or sent to homes.

 

[Disney Irish]

Just to clarify, this can't be a "reservoir" in the usual sense of the word, for the community to use for drinking or bathing. That lake is basically a giant swimming pool, with a sand beach, and is meant as recreation and aesthetic plussing. There's no way that water will ever end up in a tap or garden hose in a Cotino home.

The water used for homes, and even landscaping, comes from the usual sources (the Colorado River, California Water Project, Lake Shasta, etc.)from the city or county and is highly regulated.

This is essentially just a big pool, and it could never be used for human consumption or sent to homes.

Ever hear of graywater? It could certainly be used as a source for that, so yes it could actually be used for sources of water outside of human consumption, ie landscaping. Many cities in California have started switching to graywater systems for non-human usage, including Los Angeles.

 

[TP2000]

Ever hear of graywater?

Yes. Most states in the Southwest have used that setup for decades on landscaping in freeway cloverleafs and such.

It could certainly be used as a source for that, so yes it could actually be used for sources of water outside of human consumption, ie landscaping.

It could. But knowing Disney, they would have touted that in their PR on this lagoon as a buzzy Save The Planet angle to this massive housing development in an incredibly inhospitable desert climate. But they didn't mention that at all.

Which tells us that this is exactly what it looks like and has been described as by Disney; a giant community swimming pool.

 

[Disney Irish]

Yes. Most states in the Southwest have used that setup for decades on landscaping in freeway cloverleafs and such.



It could. But knowing Disney, they would have touted that in their PR on this lagoon as a buzzy Save The Planet angle to this massive housing development in an incredibly inhospitable desert climate. But they didn't mention that at all.

Which tells us that this is exactly what it looks like and has been described as by Disney; a giant community swimming pool.

Given the region I wouldn’t be surprised if it is used for other purposes beyond just recreational in an effort to recycle water. This isn’t something done for just PR, so I wouldn’t expect it’s something overly hyped this early in the project. As we get closer to opening if it is really used later as part of a water recycling greywater process I’m sure they’ll bring it up.

 

[TP2000]

Given the region I wouldn’t be surprised if it is used for other purposes beyond just recreational in an effort to recycle water. This isn’t something done for just PR, so I wouldn’t expect it’s something overly hyped this early in the project. As we get closer to opening if it is really used later as part of a water recycling greywater process I’m sure they’ll bring it up.

Yeah, this is a swimming pool. A giant one. It's inherently decadent and wasteful, and will be subject to likely hundreds of thousands of gallons of water lost per day due to evaporation, especially in April through October. It's also heated in winter by natural gas heating coils. Fascinating!

I just found the contractor who is building it, with underground chemical treatment rooms, etc. It's a swimming pool.

"Cotino, the first planned community development from a Storyliving by Disney, will feature a 24-acre man-made lagoon at the center of community. The lagoon uses Crystal Lagoons® technology to produce clear turquoise waters with minimal amounts of additives, this facility will be the largest of its kind. Caliagua was selected to construct the underground infrastructure, mechanical rooms, and treatment facilities needed to operate this lagoon. Our scope includes installation of 32,000LF of HDPE pipe, treatment pump skids, chemical storage tanks & metering pumps, compressors, air lines, filter & straining skids, gas fired heating equipment, skimming baskets & pumps."

https://caliagua.net/cotino-lagoon/

 

[Disney Irish]

Yeah, this is a swimming pool. A giant one. It's inherently decadent and wasteful, and will be subject to likely hundreds of gallons of water lost per day due to evaporation, especially in April through October. It's also heated year-round by natural gas heating coils. Fascinating!

I just found the contractor who is building it, with underground chemical treatment rooms, etc. It's a swimming pool.

"Cotino, the first planned community development from a Storyliving by Disney, will feature a 24-acre man-made lagoon at the center of community. The lagoon uses Crystal Lagoons® technology to produce clear turquoise waters with minimal amounts of additives, this facility will be the largest of its kind. Caliagua was selected to construct the underground infrastructure, mechanical rooms, and treatment facilities needed to operate this lagoon. Our scope includes installation of 32,000LF of HDPE pipe, treatment pump skids, chemical storage tanks & metering pumps, compressors, air lines, filter & straining skids, gas fired heating equipment, skimming baskets & pumps."

https://caliagua.net/cotino-lagoon/

We’ll see, as I said I just wouldn’t be surprised if they also have a way to recycle water for graywater purposes. If not this lagoon surely other water in the community.

 

[TP2000]

We’ll see, as I said I just wouldn’t be surprised if they also have a way to recycle water for graywater purposes. If not this lagoon surely other water in the community.

And yet, we just don't know. We just don't know. And Disney has said nothing about graywater.

We just don't know.

What we do know however, is that this is a gigantic 24 acre swimming pool. With chemically treated and filtered water, that will lose about 600,000 gallons per day into thin air in summer's evaporative heat, and then heated in winter by natural gas fueled heating coils.

No wonder Disney's press release didn't mention saving the planet on this one. It's pure, decadent waste, and it's fully covered in your Cotino HOA dues.

 

[Disney Irish]

And yet, we just don't know. We just don't know. And Disney has said nothing about graywater.

We just don't know.

What we do know however, is that this is a gigantic 24 acre swimming pool. With chemically treated and filtered water, that will lose about 600,000 gallons per day into thin air in summer's evaporative heat, and then heated in winter by natural gas fueled heating coils.

No wonder Disney's press release didn't mention saving the planet on this one. It's pure, decadent waste, and it's fully covered in your Cotino HOA dues.

So yes we’re on the same page that we don’t know. As I said I wouldn’t be surprised if they had a water recycling plan for the community, in fact I’d be more surprised if they didn’t.

Either way this is not something I’d think would be in the early PR, but rather in any PR that comes out closer to or at opening to highlight all the community features and such.

Anyways we’ll know soon enough I’m sure.

 

[TP2000]

I will likely be heading to Rancho Mirage in April to see some old friends that live there about 7 months out of the year. They've been following this Cotino story for years, as have most Miragers out there. I'm going to memorize these Fun Facts on Cotino Lagoon to impress folks at their Easter cocktail party.

• Cotino Lagoon is 24 acres, and will lose about 600,000 gallons of water per day to evaporation.
• Over the course of a year, that's about 220 Million gallons of water evaporating from Cotino Lagoon.
• The average Californian uses about 55 gallons of water per day for bathing, cooking, and sewerage.
• Cotino Lagoon's daily average loss of 600,000 gallons is enough for 11,000 Californians daily water usage needs.
• Cotino Lagoon's annual loss of 220 Million gallons is still only 0.004% of the 5.6 Trillion gallons in a full Lake Shasta!

To be considered a fun guest at parties, you need to do your homework and show up ready to dazzle.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Disney Expands Community Support and Impact to Rancho Mirage | Disney Experiences

Disney is reinforcing its commitment to positive impact in its communities as residents begin to call Storyliving by Disney's new Cotino community home.

disneyexperiences.com

"As the first residents begin to call Storyliving by Disney’s new Cotino community home..."​

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Disney Expands Community Support and Impact to Rancho Mirage | Disney Experiences

Disney is reinforcing its commitment to positive impact in its communities as residents begin to call Storyliving by Disney's new Cotino community home.

disneyexperiences.com

"As the first residents begin to call Storyliving by Disney’s new Cotino community home..."​

View attachment 877987​

I missed a comma in that article and read a reference to "Anthony Henry, Cotino community general manager" as though there was a person called "Anthony Henry Cotino".

Seeing as Disney is so fond of backstory these days, maybe Anthony Henry Cotino could be the Jedediah Springfield of Cotino? They could have monuments with fake quotes, an Anthony Henry Cotino Day holiday, and all sorts of fun!

 

[chadwpalm]

I honestly keep forgetting this place exists until someone bumps this thread.