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 Fernando

Water consumption in the City Of San Fernando decreased 2.94 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 18.85 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 80 million gallons
  • August 2014 65 million gallons
  • August 2015 66 million gallons
  • August 2016 65 million gallons
  • August 2017 65 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 84.0% of water consumption in the City Of San Fernando is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 6.56 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
71.20
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
76.20
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 73 million gallons
  • 2015 68 million gallons
  • 2016 60 million gallons
February
  • 2013 67 million gallons
  • 2015 65 million gallons
  • 2016 60 million gallons
March
  • 2013 82 million gallons
  • 2015 76 million gallons
  • 2016 64 million gallons
April
  • 2013 90 million gallons
  • 2015 75 million gallons
  • 2016 68 million gallons
May
  • 2013 99 million gallons
  • 2015 74 million gallons
  • 2016 76 million gallons
June
  • 2013 106 million gallons
  • 2015 80 million gallons
  • 2016 83 million gallons
July
  • 2013 110 million gallons
  • 2015 81 million gallons
  • 2016 92 million gallons
August
  • 2013 115 million gallons
  • 2015 86 million gallons
  • 2016 94 million gallons
September
  • 2013 109 million gallons
  • 2015 79 million gallons
  • 2016 85 million gallons
October
  • 2013 97 million gallons
  • 2015 78 million gallons
  • 2016 80 million gallons
November
  • 2013 83 million gallons
  • 2015 72 million gallons
  • 2016 72 million gallons
August
  • 2013 80 million gallons
  • 2015 66 million gallons
  • 2016 65 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 Fernando water use decreased by 20.92 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.
15.433
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
12.205
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 Fernando to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued10 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued11 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 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

Plant California Friendly plants

Repair leaks

Take shorter showers

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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