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 California-American Water Company Los Angeles District
- Water consumption in the California-American Water Company Los Angeles District increased 3.63 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 14.68 percent over the past five years.
- August 2013 502 million gallons
- August 2014 403 million gallons
- August 2015 413 million gallons
- August 2016 428 million gallons
- August 2017 403 million gallons
Displayed in millions of gallons
Average daily water consumption by each residential customer
- About 77.0% of water consumption in the California-American Water Company Los Angeles District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 3.47 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
- 104.50
- average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
- 101.00
- average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
Year-over-year water consumption
- 2013 430 million gallons
- 2015 410 million gallons
- 2016 343 million gallons
- 2013 408 million gallons
- 2015 397 million gallons
- 2016 341 million gallons
- 2013 498 million gallons
- 2015 464 million gallons
- 2016 366 million gallons
- 2013 596 million gallons
- 2015 506 million gallons
- 2016 399 million gallons
- 2013 649 million gallons
- 2015 461 million gallons
- 2016 441 million gallons
- 2013 705 million gallons
- 2015 496 million gallons
- 2016 530 million gallons
- 2013 768 million gallons
- 2015 528 million gallons
- 2016 597 million gallons
- 2013 770 million gallons
- 2015 541 million gallons
- 2016 614 million gallons
- 2013 744 million gallons
- 2015 491 million gallons
- 2016 569 million gallons
- 2013 681 million gallons
- 2015 469 million gallons
- 2016 546 million gallons
- 2013 547 million gallons
- 2015 421 million gallons
- 2016 424 million gallons
- 2013 502 million gallons
- 2015 413 million gallons
- 2016 428 million gallons
Displayed in millions of gallons
2014 water use data is incomplete and therefore not displayed
Progress toward mandatory water reduction*
- California-American Water Company Los Angeles District water use decreased by 28.10 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 28 percent reduction.
- 102.178
- billion gallons consumed
- over the same months in 2013.
- 73.464
- 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 California-American Water Company Los Angeles District to the State Water Resources Control Board.
| Month | Watering Days | Complaints | Follow-up Actions | Warnings Issued | Penalties Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MonthAugust 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received12 | Follow-up Actions6 | Warnings Issued6 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received16 | Follow-up Actions8 | Warnings Issued5 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2017 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received14 | Follow-up Actions10 | Warnings Issued10 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2017 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received27 | Follow-up Actions4 | Warnings Issued3 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2017 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received28 | Follow-up Actions28 | Warnings Issued28 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2017 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received18 | Follow-up Actions15 | Warnings Issued15 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJune 2017 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received8 | Follow-up Actions3 | Warnings Issued3 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMay 2017 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received24 | Follow-up Actions7 | Warnings Issued7 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthApril 2017 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received23 | Follow-up Actions7 | Warnings Issued7 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMarch 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received13 | Follow-up Actions7 | Warnings Issued7 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthFebruary 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions1 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJanuary 2017 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received3 | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received12 | Follow-up Actions6 | Warnings Issued6 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthNovember 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received16 | Follow-up Actions8 | Warnings Issued5 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2016 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received14 | Follow-up Actions10 | Warnings Issued10 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2016 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received27 | Follow-up Actions4 | Warnings Issued3 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2016 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received41 | Follow-up Actions17 | Warnings Issued11 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received34 | Follow-up Actions5 | Warnings Issued5 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJune 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received30 | Follow-up Actions19 | Warnings Issued19 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMay 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received25 | Follow-up Actions21 | Warnings Issued21 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthApril 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received22 | Follow-up Actions15 | Warnings Issued15 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMarch 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received74 | Follow-up Actions69 | Warnings Issued69 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthFebruary 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received12 | Follow-up Actions12 | Warnings Issued12 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJanuary 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received7 | Follow-up Actions7 | Warnings Issued7 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received19 | Follow-up Actions19 | Warnings Issued19 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthNovember 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received11 | Follow-up Actions9 | Warnings Issued9 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received35 | Follow-up Actions32 | Warnings Issued32 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received27 | Follow-up Actions26 | Warnings Issued26 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received43 | Follow-up Actions39 | Warnings Issued39 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received51 | Follow-up Actions51 | Warnings Issued51 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJune 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received42 | Follow-up Actions39 | Warnings Issued39 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMay 2015 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received30 | Follow-up Actions25 | Warnings Issued25 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthApril 2015 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received23 | Follow-up Actions21 | Warnings Issued21 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMarch 2015 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received3 | Follow-up Actions3 | Warnings Issued3 | 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
Water before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
Take shorter showers
Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk
Wash only full loads
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.