Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Newhall County Water District

Water consumption in the Newhall County Water District decreased 12.37 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 26.33 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 204 million gallons
  • August 2014 122 million gallons
  • August 2015 172 million gallons
  • August 2016 151 million gallons
  • August 2017 122 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 82.0% of water consumption in the Newhall County Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 14.89 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
104.10
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 185 million gallons
  • 2015 170 million gallons
  • 2016 125 million gallons
February
  • 2013 173 million gallons
  • 2015 164 million gallons
  • 2016 144 million gallons
March
  • 2013 227 million gallons
  • 2015 204 million gallons
  • 2016 156 million gallons
April
  • 2013 274 million gallons
  • 2015 234 million gallons
  • 2016 191 million gallons
May
  • 2013 329 million gallons
  • 2015 222 million gallons
  • 2016 237 million gallons
June
  • 2013 358 million gallons
  • 2015 257 million gallons
  • 2016 282 million gallons
July
  • 2013 391 million gallons
  • 2015 257 million gallons
  • 2016 321 million gallons
August
  • 2013 393 million gallons
  • 2015 276 million gallons
  • 2016 331 million gallons
September
  • 2013 368 million gallons
  • 2015 241 million gallons
  • 2016 295 million gallons
October
  • 2013 307 million gallons
  • 2015 235 million gallons
  • 2016 254 million gallons
November
  • 2013 232 million gallons
  • 2015 208 million gallons
  • 2016 201 million gallons
August
  • 2013 204 million gallons
  • 2015 172 million gallons
  • 2016 151 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Newhall County Water District water use decreased by 27.37 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.
48.180
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
34.991
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 Newhall County 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 Received1 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued 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 Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 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 Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received165 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued161 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued403 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received153 Follow-up Actions153 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received122 Follow-up Actions122 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received110 Follow-up Actions110 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received370 Follow-up Actions370 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received21 Follow-up Actions21 Warnings Issued396 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received75 Follow-up Actions75 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received220 Follow-up Actions183 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received21 Follow-up Actions23 Warnings Issued21 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2014 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2014 Watering Days3 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2014 Watering Days3 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 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

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth

Wash cars with a bucket and sponge

Capture tap water

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.

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