Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Oildale Mutual Water Company

Water consumption in the Oildale Mutual Water Company increased 3.02 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 19.96 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 168 million gallons
  • August 2014 147 million gallons
  • August 2015 134 million gallons
  • August 2016 138 million gallons
  • August 2017 147 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 79.0% of water consumption in the Oildale Mutual Water Company is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 2.37 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
103.50
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
101.10
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 179 million gallons
  • 2015 154 million gallons
  • 2016 123 million gallons
February
  • 2013 156 million gallons
  • 2015 139 million gallons
  • 2016 122 million gallons
March
  • 2013 188 million gallons
  • 2015 189 million gallons
  • 2016 152 million gallons
April
  • 2013 268 million gallons
  • 2015 223 million gallons
  • 2016 180 million gallons
May
  • 2013 327 million gallons
  • 2015 229 million gallons
  • 2016 225 million gallons
June
  • 2013 376 million gallons
  • 2015 275 million gallons
  • 2016 298 million gallons
July
  • 2013 431 million gallons
  • 2015 292 million gallons
  • 2016 324 million gallons
August
  • 2013 414 million gallons
  • 2015 292 million gallons
  • 2016 309 million gallons
September
  • 2013 414 million gallons
  • 2015 264 million gallons
  • 2016 269 million gallons
October
  • 2013 287 million gallons
  • 2015 216 million gallons
  • 2016 223 million gallons
November
  • 2013 209 million gallons
  • 2015 152 million gallons
  • 2016 182 million gallons
August
  • 2013 172 million gallons
  • 2015 134 million gallons
  • 2016 138 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Oildale Mutual Water Company water use decreased by 28.75 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.
47.686
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
33.978
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 Oildale Mutual Water Company to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions50 Warnings Issued37 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued14 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions30 Warnings Issued30 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions26 Warnings Issued26 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions50 Warnings Issued37 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received22 Follow-up Actions50 Warnings Issued28 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued27 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received32 Follow-up Actions32 Warnings Issued13 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued46 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued12 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received19 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued13 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued36 Penalties Assessed3
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions57 Warnings Issued46 Penalties Assessed6
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received25 Follow-up Actions149 Warnings Issued124 Penalties Assessed13
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received24 Follow-up Actions120 Warnings Issued96 Penalties Assessed8
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received27 Follow-up Actions156 Warnings Issued129 Penalties Assessed13
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received44 Follow-up Actions193 Warnings Issued193 Penalties Assessed6
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received51 Follow-up Actions461 Warnings Issued461 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received49 Follow-up Actions303 Warnings Issued286 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
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

Plant California Friendly plants

Wash only full loads

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth

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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