Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the City Of San Diego

Water consumption in the City Of San Diego decreased 6.30 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 20.80 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 4545 million gallons
  • August 2014 3438 million gallons
  • August 2015 3820 million gallons
  • August 2016 3579 million gallons
  • August 2017 3438 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 54.0% of water consumption in the City Of San Diego is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 8.06 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
46.80
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
50.90
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 3924 million gallons
  • 2015 4108 million gallons
  • 2016 3467 million gallons
February
  • 2013 3644 million gallons
  • 2015 3974 million gallons
  • 2016 3611 million gallons
March
  • 2013 4475 million gallons
  • 2015 4698 million gallons
  • 2016 3940 million gallons
April
  • 2013 4997 million gallons
  • 2015 4848 million gallons
  • 2016 4116 million gallons
May
  • 2013 5705 million gallons
  • 2015 4228 million gallons
  • 2016 4416 million gallons
June
  • 2013 6051 million gallons
  • 2015 4581 million gallons
  • 2016 4865 million gallons
July
  • 2013 6393 million gallons
  • 2015 4544 million gallons
  • 2016 5489 million gallons
August
  • 2013 6348 million gallons
  • 2015 4988 million gallons
  • 2016 5647 million gallons
September
  • 2013 6074 million gallons
  • 2015 4753 million gallons
  • 2016 4955 million gallons
October
  • 2013 5519 million gallons
  • 2015 4596 million gallons
  • 2016 5171 million gallons
November
  • 2013 4657 million gallons
  • 2015 4013 million gallons
  • 2016 4315 million gallons
August
  • 2013 4519 million gallons
  • 2015 3820 million gallons
  • 2016 3579 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

City Of San Diego water use decreased by 18.40 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 16 percent reduction.
872.305
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
711.809
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 San Diego to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received329 Follow-up Actions329 Warnings Issued329 Penalties Assessed18
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received398 Follow-up Actions398 Warnings Issued398 Penalties Assessed17
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received534 Follow-up Actions534 Warnings Issued534 Penalties Assessed15
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received587 Follow-up Actions587 Warnings Issued587 Penalties Assessed20
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received234 Follow-up Actions234 Warnings Issued234 Penalties Assessed56
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received276 Follow-up Actions276 Warnings Issued276 Penalties Assessed62
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received313 Follow-up Actions313 Warnings Issued313 Penalties Assessed20
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received214 Follow-up Actions214 Warnings Issued214 Penalties Assessed8
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received308 Follow-up Actions308 Warnings Issued308 Penalties Assessed3
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received191 Follow-up Actions191 Warnings Issued191 Penalties Assessed20
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received165 Follow-up Actions165 Warnings Issued165 Penalties Assessed7
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received135 Follow-up Actions135 Warnings Issued135 Penalties Assessed15
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received329 Follow-up Actions329 Warnings Issued329 Penalties Assessed18
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received398 Follow-up Actions398 Warnings Issued398 Penalties Assessed17
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received534 Follow-up Actions534 Warnings Issued534 Penalties Assessed15
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received587 Follow-up Actions587 Warnings Issued587 Penalties Assessed20
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received472 Follow-up Actions472 Warnings Issued472 Penalties Assessed21
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received359 Follow-up Actions359 Warnings Issued359 Penalties Assessed17
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received625 Follow-up Actions625 Warnings Issued625 Penalties Assessed21
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received291 Follow-up Actions291 Warnings Issued291 Penalties Assessed13
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received382 Follow-up Actions382 Warnings Issued382 Penalties Assessed15
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received361 Follow-up Actions361 Warnings Issued361 Penalties Assessed22
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received365 Follow-up Actions365 Warnings Issued365 Penalties Assessed37
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received269 Follow-up Actions269 Warnings Issued269 Penalties Assessed26
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received273 Follow-up Actions273 Warnings Issued273 Penalties Assessed22
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received234 Follow-up Actions234 Warnings Issued234 Penalties Assessed11
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received494 Follow-up Actions494 Warnings Issued494 Penalties Assessed26
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received736 Follow-up Actions736 Warnings Issued736 Penalties Assessed24
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received980 Follow-up Actions980 Warnings Issued980 Penalties Assessed29
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received955 Follow-up Actions955 Warnings Issued955 Penalties Assessed10
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1047 Follow-up Actions974 Warnings Issued974 Penalties Assessed18
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received872 Follow-up Actions872 Warnings Issued872 Penalties Assessed2
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received820 Follow-up Actions820 Warnings Issued820 Penalties Assessed48
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received372 Follow-up Actions372 Warnings Issued2 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.

Wash only full loads

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

Repair leaks

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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