Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the El Dorado Irrigation District

Water consumption in the El Dorado Irrigation District increased 9.57 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 29.16 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 606 million gallons
  • August 2014 394 million gallons
  • August 2015 392 million gallons
  • August 2016 429 million gallons
  • August 2017 394 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 66.0% of water consumption in the El Dorado Irrigation District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 6.34 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
77.10
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
72.50
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 494 million gallons
  • 2015 415 million gallons
  • 2016 369 million gallons
February
  • 2013 446 million gallons
  • 2015 364 million gallons
  • 2016 340 million gallons
March
  • 2013 641 million gallons
  • 2015 550 million gallons
  • 2016 367 million gallons
April
  • 2013 767 million gallons
  • 2015 610 million gallons
  • 2016 473 million gallons
May
  • 2013 1239 million gallons
  • 2015 719 million gallons
  • 2016 736 million gallons
June
  • 2013 1569 million gallons
  • 2015 1061 million gallons
  • 2016 1348 million gallons
July
  • 2013 1903 million gallons
  • 2015 1258 million gallons
  • 2016 1572 million gallons
August
  • 2013 1786 million gallons
  • 2015 1251 million gallons
  • 2016 1530 million gallons
September
  • 2013 1371 million gallons
  • 2015 1105 million gallons
  • 2016 1254 million gallons
October
  • 2013 1097 million gallons
  • 2015 814 million gallons
  • 2016 733 million gallons
November
  • 2013 773 million gallons
  • 2015 467 million gallons
  • 2016 483 million gallons
August
  • 2013 606 million gallons
  • 2015 392 million gallons
  • 2016 429 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

El Dorado Irrigation District water use decreased by 31.97 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 28 percent reduction.
177.659
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
120.862
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 El Dorado Irrigation District to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions 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 Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days1 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days1 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days1 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days1 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days1 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received18 Follow-up Actions209 Warnings Issued191 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions32 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received52 Follow-up Actions54 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received45 Follow-up Actions91 Warnings Issued46 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received62 Follow-up Actions154 Warnings Issued92 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received51 Follow-up Actions70 Warnings Issued19 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received51 Follow-up Actions60 Warnings Issued9 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
MonthJune 2014 Watering Days Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed

Here are some ways you can help conserve water

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

Capture tap water

Wash cars with a bucket and sponge

Take shorter showers

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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