Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the City Of Petaluma

Water consumption in the City Of Petaluma decreased 8.02 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 23.89 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 200 million gallons
  • August 2014 170 million gallons
  • August 2015 165 million gallons
  • August 2016 152 million gallons
  • August 2017 170 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 68.0% of water consumption in the City Of Petaluma is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 4.48 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
53.60
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
51.30
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 173 million gallons
  • 2015 171 million gallons
  • 2016 156 million gallons
February
  • 2013 169 million gallons
  • 2015 155 million gallons
  • 2016 136 million gallons
March
  • 2013 203 million gallons
  • 2015 201 million gallons
  • 2016 155 million gallons
April
  • 2013 249 million gallons
  • 2015 206 million gallons
  • 2016 175 million gallons
May
  • 2013 347 million gallons
  • 2015 217 million gallons
  • 2016 230 million gallons
June
  • 2013 325 million gallons
  • 2015 231 million gallons
  • 2016 245 million gallons
July
  • 2013 355 million gallons
  • 2015 250 million gallons
  • 2016 275 million gallons
August
  • 2013 355 million gallons
  • 2015 252 million gallons
  • 2016 249 million gallons
September
  • 2013 323 million gallons
  • 2015 244 million gallons
  • 2016 249 million gallons
October
  • 2013 295 million gallons
  • 2015 232 million gallons
  • 2016 206 million gallons
November
  • 2013 239 million gallons
  • 2015 178 million gallons
  • 2016 155 million gallons
August
  • 2013 200 million gallons
  • 2015 165 million gallons
  • 2016 152 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

City Of Petaluma water use decreased by 24.65 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 16 percent reduction.
44.688
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
33.674
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 Petaluma to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed1
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received22 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received24 Follow-up Actions24 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received19 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received24 Follow-up Actions24 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received36 Follow-up Actions36 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received36 Follow-up Actions36 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received20 Follow-up Actions20 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed

Here are some ways you can help conserve water

Take shorter showers

Repair broken sprinklers

Repair leaks

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

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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