Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the City Of Arcata

Water consumption in the City Of Arcata decreased 4.43 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 8.80 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 53 million gallons
  • August 2014 51 million gallons
  • August 2015 49 million gallons
  • August 2016 47 million gallons
  • August 2017 51 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 49.0% of water consumption in the City Of Arcata is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 7.80 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
40.20
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
43.60
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 48 million gallons
  • 2015 45 million gallons
  • 2016 44 million gallons
February
  • 2013 50 million gallons
  • 2015 46 million gallons
  • 2016 48 million gallons
March
  • 2013 47 million gallons
  • 2015 51 million gallons
  • 2016 49 million gallons
April
  • 2013 55 million gallons
  • 2015 49 million gallons
  • 2016 47 million gallons
May
  • 2013 59 million gallons
  • 2015 51 million gallons
  • 2016 53 million gallons
June
  • 2013 53 million gallons
  • 2015 59 million gallons
  • 2016 58 million gallons
July
  • 2013 64 million gallons
  • 2015 58 million gallons
  • 2016 58 million gallons
August
  • 2013 62 million gallons
  • 2015 61 million gallons
  • 2016 64 million gallons
September
  • 2013 66 million gallons
  • 2015 60 million gallons
  • 2016 61 million gallons
October
  • 2013 59 million gallons
  • 2015 56 million gallons
  • 2016 54 million gallons
November
  • 2013 48 million gallons
  • 2015 49 million gallons
  • 2016 48 million gallons
August
  • 2013 51 million gallons
  • 2015 49 million gallons
  • 2016 47 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons
2014 water use data is incomplete and therefore not displayed

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

City Of Arcata water use decreased by 6.00 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — but the agency failed to meet a 8 percent reduction.
9.406
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
8.841
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 City Of Arcata to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions17 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions17 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days4 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days4 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions23 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed

Here are some ways you can help conserve water

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth

Repair leaks

Capture tap water

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

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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