Environment
Is California water use increasing?
Produced by Aaron Mendelson & Chris Keller | Updated Sept. 7, 2016
Sources: California Water Resources Control Board. Built using: django-bakery, underscore.js, backbone.js, leaflet.js, chartist.js & Bootstrap. Circles on a line distribution charts based on CensusReporter charts, design and code created by Ryan Pitts, Joe Germuska, Ian Dees and Sara Schnadt. Icon credits: Waste icon created by Luis Prado and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Washing Machine icon created by Megan Sheehan and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Bucket icon created by Nithin Viswanathan and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Water drop icon created by Diego Naive and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Broom icon created by Anna Weiss and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Clock icon created by Pavel Nikandrov and used via a Public Domain Mark from The Noun Project. Sprinkler icon created by Micah West and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Cactus icon created by Edward Boatman and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Shower icon used via a Public Domain Mark from The Noun Project.
August monthly water use by the Alco Water Service
- Water consumption in the Alco Water Service increased 2.68 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 25.09 percent over the past five years.
- August 2013 106 million gallons
- August 2014 90 million gallons
- August 2015 77 million gallons
- August 2016 79 million gallons
- August 2017 90 million gallons
Displayed in millions of gallons
Average daily water consumption by each residential customer
- About 89.0% of water consumption in the Alco Water Service is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 1.66 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
- 77.20
- average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
- 78.50
- average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
Year-over-year water consumption
- 2013 89 million gallons
- 2015 90 million gallons
- 2016 78 million gallons
- 2013 89 million gallons
- 2015 90 million gallons
- 2016 69 million gallons
- 2013 100 million gallons
- 2015 98 million gallons
- 2016 80 million gallons
- 2013 106 million gallons
- 2015 110 million gallons
- 2016 83 million gallons
- 2013 141 million gallons
- 2015 103 million gallons
- 2016 100 million gallons
- 2013 151 million gallons
- 2015 113 million gallons
- 2016 114 million gallons
- 2013 149 million gallons
- 2015 118 million gallons
- 2016 119 million gallons
- 2013 148 million gallons
- 2015 120 million gallons
- 2016 112 million gallons
- 2013 156 million gallons
- 2015 112 million gallons
- 2016 114 million gallons
- 2013 141 million gallons
- 2015 102 million gallons
- 2016 108 million gallons
- 2013 121 million gallons
- 2015 89 million gallons
- 2016 89 million gallons
- 2013 106 million gallons
- 2015 77 million gallons
- 2016 79 million gallons
Displayed in millions of gallons
2014 water use data is incomplete and therefore not displayed
Progress toward mandatory water reduction*
- Alco Water Service water use decreased by 23.76 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — but the agency failed to meet a 24 percent reduction.
- 20.941
- billion gallons consumed
- over the same months in 2013.
- 15.966
- billion gallons consumed
- between June 2015 and February 2016.
*: Approved by the State Water Resources Control Board in 2015, the reduction target was meant to achieve a 25 percent reduction in water use statewide. It is tied to an average July through Sept. 2014 daily per capita residential water use rate that placed water agencies into nine tiers.
Enforcement statistics
- Selected enforcement statistics reported by the Alco Water Service to the State Water Resources Control Board.
| Month | Watering Days | Complaints | Follow-up Actions | Warnings Issued | Penalties Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MonthAugust 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed2271 |
| MonthJuly 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed2599 |
| MonthOctober 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued2 | Penalties Assessed4137 |
| MonthAugust 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed2911 |
| MonthJuly 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed2845 |
| MonthJune 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued2 | Penalties Assessed2613 |
| MonthMay 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed2510 |
| MonthApril 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed2438 |
| MonthMarch 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received1 | Follow-up Actions1 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed1912 |
| MonthFebruary 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received1 | Follow-up Actions1 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed2041 |
| MonthJanuary 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received1 | Follow-up Actions1 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed2247 |
| MonthAugust 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed2271 |
| MonthNovember 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed2599 |
| MonthOctober 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued2 | Penalties Assessed4137 |
| MonthAugust 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received3 | Follow-up Actions3 | Warnings Issued3 | Penalties Assessed4050 |
| MonthJuly 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued2 | Penalties Assessed4060 |
| MonthJune 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued2 | Penalties Assessed4090 |
| MonthMay 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received1 | Follow-up Actions1 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed3431 |
| MonthApril 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received1 | Follow-up Actions1 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed2383 |
| MonthMarch 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received1 | Follow-up Actions1 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed1954 |
| MonthFebruary 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received1 | Follow-up Actions1 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed1532 |
| MonthJanuary 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received1 | Follow-up Actions1 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed1 |
| MonthAugust 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthNovember 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued2 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received7 | Follow-up Actions7 | Warnings Issued5 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received6 | Follow-up Actions6 | Warnings Issued6 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received12 | Follow-up Actions12 | Warnings Issued12 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received3 | Follow-up Actions3 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJune 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMay 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthApril 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMarch 2015 | Watering Days4 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthFebruary 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJanuary 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2014 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthNovember 2014 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2014 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2014 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2014 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2014 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJune 2014 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
Here are some ways you can help conserve water
Wash only full loads
Take shorter showers
Plant California Friendly plants
Repair leaks
About the data: This data is for urban water suppliers and is based on the the most recent reports submitted to the State Water Resources Control Board. Since the gallons of water used per person per day measurement does not take into account rainfall, temperature, humidity and population density, the State Water Resources Control Board discourages comparisons between water suppliers.