Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the City Of Palo Alto

Water consumption in the City Of Palo Alto decreased 14.05 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 31.46 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 258 million gallons
  • August 2014 217 million gallons
  • August 2015 203 million gallons
  • August 2016 174 million gallons
  • August 2017 217 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 58.0% of water consumption in the City Of Palo Alto is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 12.46 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
50.60
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
57.80
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 225 million gallons
  • 2015 203 million gallons
  • 2016 173 million gallons
February
  • 2013 279 million gallons
  • 2015 225 million gallons
  • 2016 178 million gallons
March
  • 2013 305 million gallons
  • 2015 285 million gallons
  • 2016 237 million gallons
April
  • 2013 398 million gallons
  • 2015 301 million gallons
  • 2016 255 million gallons
May
  • 2013 477 million gallons
  • 2015 262 million gallons
  • 2016 316 million gallons
June
  • 2013 478 million gallons
  • 2015 332 million gallons
  • 2016 383 million gallons
July
  • 2013 430 million gallons
  • 2015 301 million gallons
  • 2016 366 million gallons
August
  • 2013 490 million gallons
  • 2015 307 million gallons
  • 2016 327 million gallons
September
  • 2013 396 million gallons
  • 2015 291 million gallons
  • 2016 309 million gallons
October
  • 2013 334 million gallons
  • 2015 232 million gallons
  • 2016 243 million gallons
November
  • 2013 259 million gallons
  • 2015 167 million gallons
  • 2016 204 million gallons
August
  • 2013 254 million gallons
  • 2015 203 million gallons
  • 2016 174 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

City Of Palo Alto water use decreased by 31.54 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 24 percent reduction.
61.149
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
41.866
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 Palo Alto to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued10 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days Complaints Received26 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received20 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received29 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued26 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received39 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued37 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received48 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued39 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received54 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued47 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received65 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued51 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received29 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued22 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received44 Follow-up Actions44 Warnings Issued33 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received18 Follow-up Actions18 Warnings Issued13 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.

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

Capture tap water

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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