Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

Water consumption in the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District decreased 10.11 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 28.79 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 492 million gallons
  • August 2014 327 million gallons
  • August 2015 390 million gallons
  • August 2016 351 million gallons
  • August 2017 327 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 61.0% of water consumption in the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 36.24 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
91.50
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
143.50
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 389 million gallons
  • 2015 367 million gallons
  • 2016 296 million gallons
February
  • 2013 363 million gallons
  • 2015 413 million gallons
  • 2016 336 million gallons
March
  • 2013 509 million gallons
  • 2015 449 million gallons
  • 2016 356 million gallons
April
  • 2013 588 million gallons
  • 2015 515 million gallons
  • 2016 433 million gallons
May
  • 2013 690 million gallons
  • 2015 495 million gallons
  • 2016 520 million gallons
June
  • 2013 774 million gallons
  • 2015 520 million gallons
  • 2016 620 million gallons
July
  • 2013 911 million gallons
  • 2015 564 million gallons
  • 2016 757 million gallons
August
  • 2013 911 million gallons
  • 2015 628 million gallons
  • 2016 785 million gallons
September
  • 2013 862 million gallons
  • 2015 546 million gallons
  • 2016 692 million gallons
October
  • 2013 702 million gallons
  • 2015 515 million gallons
  • 2016 620 million gallons
November
  • 2013 539 million gallons
  • 2015 443 million gallons
  • 2016 487 million gallons
August
  • 2013 492 million gallons
  • 2015 390 million gallons
  • 2016 351 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Las Virgenes Municipal Water District water use decreased by 28.16 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — but the agency failed to meet a 36 percent reduction.
108.072
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
77.643
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 Las Virgenes Municipal Water 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 Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received 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 Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions 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 Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days1 Complaints Received278 Follow-up Actions278 Warnings Issued251 Penalties Assessed27
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days1 Complaints Received478 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued468 Penalties Assessed25
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received404 Follow-up Actions400 Warnings Issued342 Penalties Assessed58
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received263 Follow-up Actions257 Warnings Issued16 Penalties Assessed6
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received327 Follow-up Actions327 Warnings Issued319 Penalties Assessed42
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received138 Follow-up Actions138 Warnings Issued412 Penalties Assessed24
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received399 Follow-up Actions399 Warnings Issued380 Penalties Assessed19
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received137 Follow-up Actions125 Warnings Issued125 Penalties Assessed3
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received62 Follow-up Actions59 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed1
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received23 Follow-up Actions23 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

Capture tap water

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth

Water before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.

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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