Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Goleta Water District

Water consumption in the Goleta Water District decreased 36.36 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 39.99 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 297 million gallons
  • August 2014 173 million gallons
  • August 2015 286 million gallons
  • August 2016 182 million gallons
  • August 2017 173 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 55.0% of water consumption in the Goleta Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 14.48 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
37.20
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
43.50
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 217 million gallons
  • 2015 209 million gallons
  • 2016 178 million gallons
February
  • 2013 252 million gallons
  • 2015 218 million gallons
  • 2016 195 million gallons
March
  • 2013 313 million gallons
  • 2015 317 million gallons
  • 2016 204 million gallons
April
  • 2013 389 million gallons
  • 2015 351 million gallons
  • 2016 277 million gallons
May
  • 2013 482 million gallons
  • 2015 343 million gallons
  • 2016 319 million gallons
June
  • 2013 480 million gallons
  • 2015 301 million gallons
  • 2016 333 million gallons
July
  • 2013 527 million gallons
  • 2015 344 million gallons
  • 2016 357 million gallons
August
  • 2013 479 million gallons
  • 2015 369 million gallons
  • 2016 356 million gallons
September
  • 2013 498 million gallons
  • 2015 353 million gallons
  • 2016 332 million gallons
October
  • 2013 480 million gallons
  • 2015 349 million gallons
  • 2016 330 million gallons
November
  • 2013 381 million gallons
  • 2015 309 million gallons
  • 2016 259 million gallons
August
  • 2013 303 million gallons
  • 2015 286 million gallons
  • 2016 182 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Goleta Water District water use decreased by 26.19 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 12 percent reduction.
66.081
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
48.777
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 Goleta Water District to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed2
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received19 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received32 Follow-up Actions32 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received21 Follow-up Actions21 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received21 Follow-up Actions21 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed2
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received19 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received32 Follow-up Actions32 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received45 Follow-up Actions45 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received38 Follow-up Actions38 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received24 Follow-up Actions24 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed1
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received26 Follow-up Actions26 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received17 Follow-up Actions17 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received22 Follow-up Actions22 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received35 Follow-up Actions35 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received21 Follow-up Actions21 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received40 Follow-up Actions40 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received55 Follow-up Actions55 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received61 Follow-up Actions61 Warnings Issued12 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received58 Follow-up Actions58 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received48 Follow-up Actions48 Warnings Issued11 Penalties Assessed2
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received75 Follow-up Actions75 Warnings Issued11 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received25 Follow-up Actions25 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed1
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.

Take shorter showers

Plant California Friendly plants

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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