Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the City Of El Centro

Water consumption in the City Of El Centro decreased 0.03 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 5.52 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 165 million gallons
  • August 2014 150 million gallons
  • August 2015 156 million gallons
  • August 2016 156 million gallons
  • August 2017 150 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 70.0% of water consumption in the City Of El Centro is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 1.89 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
77.80
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
79.30
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 156 million gallons
  • 2015 154 million gallons
  • 2016 143 million gallons
February
  • 2013 151 million gallons
  • 2015 152 million gallons
  • 2016 140 million gallons
March
  • 2013 197 million gallons
  • 2015 179 million gallons
  • 2016 180 million gallons
April
  • 2013 226 million gallons
  • 2015 203 million gallons
  • 2016 186 million gallons
May
  • 2013 275 million gallons
  • 2015 213 million gallons
  • 2016 217 million gallons
June
  • 2013 291 million gallons
  • 2015 227 million gallons
  • 2016 238 million gallons
July
  • 2013 293 million gallons
  • 2015 228 million gallons
  • 2016 249 million gallons
August
  • 2013 275 million gallons
  • 2015 241 million gallons
  • 2016 257 million gallons
September
  • 2013 229 million gallons
  • 2015 217 million gallons
  • 2016 222 million gallons
October
  • 2013 232 million gallons
  • 2015 197 million gallons
  • 2016 211 million gallons
November
  • 2013 187 million gallons
  • 2015 175 million gallons
  • 2016 182 million gallons
August
  • 2013 165 million gallons
  • 2015 156 million gallons
  • 2016 156 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

City Of El Centro water use decreased by 13.83 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.
37.474
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
32.292
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 El Centro to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received17 Follow-up Actions197 Warnings Issued122 Penalties Assessed9
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions270 Warnings Issued107 Penalties Assessed13
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions287 Warnings Issued132 Penalties Assessed6
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions294 Warnings Issued204 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued10 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions187 Warnings Issued110 Penalties Assessed13
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received17 Follow-up Actions197 Warnings Issued122 Penalties Assessed9
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions270 Warnings Issued107 Penalties Assessed13
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions287 Warnings Issued132 Penalties Assessed6
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions294 Warnings Issued204 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions151 Warnings Issued289 Penalties Assessed15
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions135 Warnings Issued378 Penalties Assessed86
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received18 Follow-up Actions160 Warnings Issued522 Penalties Assessed53
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions300 Warnings Issued861 Penalties Assessed13
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions147 Warnings Issued147 Penalties Assessed7
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions90 Warnings Issued77 Penalties Assessed3
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received22 Follow-up Actions98 Warnings Issued29 Penalties Assessed6
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received20 Follow-up Actions52 Warnings Issued16 Penalties Assessed1
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received17 Follow-up Actions82 Warnings Issued58 Penalties Assessed5
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received25 Follow-up Actions134 Warnings Issued114 Penalties Assessed20
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received20 Follow-up Actions114 Warnings Issued94 Penalties Assessed3
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received45 Follow-up Actions170 Warnings Issued170 Penalties Assessed1
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received20 Follow-up Actions85 Warnings Issued65 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions49 Warnings Issued94 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received18 Follow-up Actions20 Warnings Issued71 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions30 Warnings Issued57 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued57 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days 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

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth

Water before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.

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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