And still keep it away from the programmers. Create a class that extends DB.php. Wrap the connection method with your own, which checks if you're reading or updating. If you're reading, do it from one of the slaves. Best way is to put a load balancer in front of the slaves so you can dynamically add/remove slaves without interrupting the app. Next best is round-robin or random select within your class.
Wait, you said ADODB. I used DB, not DB_ado, but I assume the above still applies.