Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Lamont Public Utility District

Water consumption in the Lamont Public Utility District increased 0.24 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 17.09 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 74 million gallons
  • August 2014 68 million gallons
  • August 2015 61 million gallons
  • August 2016 61 million gallons
  • August 2017 68 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 70.0% of water consumption in the Lamont Public Utility District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 1.82 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
72.60
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
71.30
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 63 million gallons
  • 2015 63 million gallons
  • 2016 54 million gallons
February
  • 2013 60 million gallons
  • 2015 61 million gallons
  • 2016 51 million gallons
March
  • 2013 81 million gallons
  • 2015 81 million gallons
  • 2016 67 million gallons
April
  • 2013 108 million gallons
  • 2015 94 million gallons
  • 2016 82 million gallons
May
  • 2013 138 million gallons
  • 2015 93 million gallons
  • 2016 99 million gallons
June
  • 2013 151 million gallons
  • 2015 106 million gallons
  • 2016 117 million gallons
July
  • 2013 164 million gallons
  • 2015 113 million gallons
  • 2016 127 million gallons
August
  • 2013 153 million gallons
  • 2015 112 million gallons
  • 2016 123 million gallons
September
  • 2013 131 million gallons
  • 2015 100 million gallons
  • 2016 109 million gallons
October
  • 2013 110 million gallons
  • 2015 92 million gallons
  • 2016 98 million gallons
November
  • 2013 87 million gallons
  • 2015 73 million gallons
  • 2016 75 million gallons
August
  • 2013 74 million gallons
  • 2015 61 million gallons
  • 2016 61 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Lamont Public Utility District water use decreased by 23.33 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — but the agency failed to meet a 28 percent reduction.
18.472
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
14.162
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 Lamont Public Utility District to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued13 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued10 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received18 Follow-up Actions18 Warnings Issued18 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received18 Follow-up Actions18 Warnings Issued18 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received25 Follow-up Actions25 Warnings Issued25 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days4 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued10 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued14 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received20 Follow-up Actions20 Warnings Issued20 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received29 Follow-up Actions29 Warnings Issued29 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received32 Follow-up Actions32 Warnings Issued32 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued11 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued10 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

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

Repair broken sprinklers

Capture tap water

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth

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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