Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the City Of Sunnyvale

Water consumption in the City Of Sunnyvale increased 2.01 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 18.72 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 428 million gallons
  • August 2014 328 million gallons
  • August 2015 341 million gallons
  • August 2016 348 million gallons
  • August 2017 328 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 66.0% of water consumption in the City Of Sunnyvale is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 2.92 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
49.90
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
51.40
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 362 million gallons
  • 2015 386 million gallons
  • 2016 318 million gallons
February
  • 2013 422 million gallons
  • 2015 345 million gallons
  • 2016 318 million gallons
March
  • 2013 478 million gallons
  • 2015 457 million gallons
  • 2016 361 million gallons
April
  • 2013 588 million gallons
  • 2015 432 million gallons
  • 2016 423 million gallons
May
  • 2013 751 million gallons
  • 2015 466 million gallons
  • 2016 481 million gallons
June
  • 2013 703 million gallons
  • 2015 453 million gallons
  • 2016 551 million gallons
July
  • 2013 783 million gallons
  • 2015 496 million gallons
  • 2016 583 million gallons
August
  • 2013 751 million gallons
  • 2015 479 million gallons
  • 2016 602 million gallons
September
  • 2013 638 million gallons
  • 2015 482 million gallons
  • 2016 561 million gallons
October
  • 2013 616 million gallons
  • 2015 318 million gallons
  • 2016 465 million gallons
November
  • 2013 507 million gallons
  • 2015 359 million gallons
  • 2016 357 million gallons
August
  • 2013 428 million gallons
  • 2015 341 million gallons
  • 2016 348 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

City Of Sunnyvale water use decreased by 28.75 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 16 percent reduction.
94.851
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
67.586
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 Sunnyvale to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 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 Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued6 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 Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued12 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received31 Follow-up Actions31 Warnings Issued24 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received33 Follow-up Actions32 Warnings Issued8 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received112 Follow-up Actions124 Warnings Issued62 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received80 Follow-up Actions160 Warnings Issued117 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received165 Follow-up Actions161 Warnings Issued30 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received77 Follow-up Actions46 Warnings Issued21 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received35 Follow-up Actions29 Warnings Issued17 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received64 Follow-up Actions52 Warnings Issued10 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

Here are some ways you can help conserve water

Wash only full loads

Capture tap water

Repair leaks

Plant California Friendly plants

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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