Environment
Is California water use increasing?
Produced by Aaron Mendelson & Chris Keller | Updated Sept. 7, 2016
Sources: California Water Resources Control Board. Built using: django-bakery, underscore.js, backbone.js, leaflet.js, chartist.js & Bootstrap. Circles on a line distribution charts based on CensusReporter charts, design and code created by Ryan Pitts, Joe Germuska, Ian Dees and Sara Schnadt. Icon credits: Waste icon created by Luis Prado and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Washing Machine icon created by Megan Sheehan and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Bucket icon created by Nithin Viswanathan and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Water drop icon created by Diego Naive and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Broom icon created by Anna Weiss and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Clock icon created by Pavel Nikandrov and used via a Public Domain Mark from The Noun Project. Sprinkler icon created by Micah West and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Cactus icon created by Edward Boatman and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution from The Noun Project. Shower icon used via a Public Domain Mark from The Noun Project.
August monthly water use by the Montecito Water District
- Water consumption in the Montecito Water District decreased 36.59 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 25.53 percent over the past five years.
- August 2013 131 million gallons
- August 2014 48 million gallons
- August 2015 90 million gallons
- August 2016 57 million gallons
- August 2017 48 million gallons
Displayed in millions of gallons
Average daily water consumption by each residential customer
- About 65.0% of water consumption in the Montecito Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 40.26 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
- 88.60
- average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
- 148.30
- average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
Year-over-year water consumption
- 2013 49 million gallons
- 2015 62 million gallons
- 2016 46 million gallons
- 2013 107 million gallons
- 2015 62 million gallons
- 2016 63 million gallons
- 2013 144 million gallons
- 2015 91 million gallons
- 2016 68 million gallons
- 2013 180 million gallons
- 2015 102 million gallons
- 2016 89 million gallons
- 2013 206 million gallons
- 2015 115 million gallons
- 2016 111 million gallons
- 2013 198 million gallons
- 2015 102 million gallons
- 2016 108 million gallons
- 2013 260 million gallons
- 2015 129 million gallons
- 2016 133 million gallons
- 2013 231 million gallons
- 2015 137 million gallons
- 2016 125 million gallons
- 2013 248 million gallons
- 2015 128 million gallons
- 2016 123 million gallons
- 2013 218 million gallons
- 2015 128 million gallons
- 2016 112 million gallons
- 2013 172 million gallons
- 2015 102 million gallons
- 2016 80 million gallons
- 2013 77 million gallons
- 2015 90 million gallons
- 2016 57 million gallons
Displayed in millions of gallons
2014 water use data is incomplete and therefore not displayed
Progress toward mandatory water reduction*
- Montecito Water District water use decreased by 45.40 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 32 percent reduction.
- 30.579
- billion gallons consumed
- over the same months in 2013.
- 16.697
- 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 Montecito 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 Received11 | Follow-up Actions32 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received7 | Follow-up Actions24 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received16 | Follow-up Actions15 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received15 | Follow-up Actions51 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received24 | Follow-up Actions55 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received16 | Follow-up Actions42 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJune 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received10 | Follow-up Actions31 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMay 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received17 | Follow-up Actions36 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthApril 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received15 | Follow-up Actions35 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMarch 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received11 | Follow-up Actions34 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthFebruary 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received9 | Follow-up Actions27 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJanuary 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received13 | Follow-up Actions40 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2016 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received11 | Follow-up Actions32 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthNovember 2016 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received7 | Follow-up Actions24 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2016 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received16 | Follow-up Actions15 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2016 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received15 | Follow-up Actions51 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2016 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received10 | Follow-up Actions57 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2016 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received12 | Follow-up Actions71 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJune 2016 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received20 | Follow-up Actions41 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMay 2016 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received13 | Follow-up Actions37 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthApril 2016 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received15 | Follow-up Actions48 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMarch 2016 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received22 | Follow-up Actions36 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthFebruary 2016 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received21 | Follow-up Actions39 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJanuary 2016 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received11 | Follow-up Actions20 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2015 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received14 | Follow-up Actions45 | Warnings Issued36 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthNovember 2015 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received17 | Follow-up Actions17 | Warnings Issued26 | Penalties Assessed510 |
| MonthOctober 2015 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received29 | Follow-up Actions29 | Warnings Issued31 | Penalties Assessed489 |
| MonthSeptember 2015 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received30 | Follow-up Actions28 | Warnings Issued28 | Penalties Assessed515 |
| MonthAugust 2015 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received48 | Follow-up Actions33 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed491 |
| MonthJuly 2015 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received17 | Follow-up Actions34 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed380 |
| MonthJune 2015 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received42 | Follow-up Actions34 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed282 |
| MonthMay 2015 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received55 | Follow-up Actions35 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed266 |
| MonthApril 2015 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received45 | Follow-up Actions34 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed671 |
| MonthMarch 2015 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received25 | Follow-up Actions2 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed276 |
| 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
Repair broken sprinklers
Capture tap water
Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk
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.