Environment

Is California water use increasing?

Produced by Aaron Mendelson & Chris Keller | Updated Sept. 7, 2016

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

January
  • 2013 430 million gallons
  • 2015 410 million gallons
  • 2016 343 million gallons
February
  • 2013 408 million gallons
  • 2015 397 million gallons
  • 2016 341 million gallons
March
  • 2013 498 million gallons
  • 2015 464 million gallons
  • 2016 366 million gallons
April
  • 2013 596 million gallons
  • 2015 506 million gallons
  • 2016 399 million gallons
May
  • 2013 649 million gallons
  • 2015 461 million gallons
  • 2016 441 million gallons
June
  • 2013 705 million gallons
  • 2015 496 million gallons
  • 2016 530 million gallons
July
  • 2013 768 million gallons
  • 2015 528 million gallons
  • 2016 597 million gallons
August
  • 2013 770 million gallons
  • 2015 541 million gallons
  • 2016 614 million gallons
September
  • 2013 744 million gallons
  • 2015 491 million gallons
  • 2016 569 million gallons
October
  • 2013 681 million gallons
  • 2015 469 million gallons
  • 2016 546 million gallons
November
  • 2013 547 million gallons
  • 2015 421 million gallons
  • 2016 424 million gallons
August
  • 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.

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