Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Golden State Water Company Orcutt

Water consumption in the Golden State Water Company Orcutt decreased 11.86 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 43.90 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 173 million gallons
  • August 2014 106 million gallons
  • August 2015 110 million gallons
  • August 2016 97 million gallons
  • August 2017 106 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 85.0% of water consumption in the Golden State Water Company Orcutt is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 11.85 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
83.30
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
94.50
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 127 million gallons
  • 2015 140 million gallons
  • 2016 84 million gallons
February
  • 2013 133 million gallons
  • 2015 127 million gallons
  • 2016 96 million gallons
March
  • 2013 182 million gallons
  • 2015 168 million gallons
  • 2016 105 million gallons
April
  • 2013 226 million gallons
  • 2015 170 million gallons
  • 2016 141 million gallons
May
  • 2013 269 million gallons
  • 2015 173 million gallons
  • 2016 175 million gallons
June
  • 2013 271 million gallons
  • 2015 167 million gallons
  • 2016 193 million gallons
July
  • 2013 287 million gallons
  • 2015 167 million gallons
  • 2016 204 million gallons
August
  • 2013 271 million gallons
  • 2015 160 million gallons
  • 2016 194 million gallons
September
  • 2013 257 million gallons
  • 2015 161 million gallons
  • 2016 184 million gallons
October
  • 2013 235 million gallons
  • 2015 158 million gallons
  • 2016 165 million gallons
November
  • 2013 188 million gallons
  • 2015 120 million gallons
  • 2016 129 million gallons
August
  • 2013 173 million gallons
  • 2015 110 million gallons
  • 2016 97 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Golden State Water Company Orcutt water use decreased by 37.24 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 32 percent reduction.
36.670
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
23.012
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 Golden State Water Company Orcutt to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued1 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
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued8 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received22 Follow-up Actions22 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed

Here are some ways you can help conserve water

Take shorter showers

Plant California Friendly plants

Wash only full loads

Wash cars with a bucket and sponge

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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