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 Riverside Highland Water Company
- Water consumption in the Riverside Highland Water Company increased 10.20 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 12.55 percent over the past five years.
- August 2013 70 million gallons
- August 2014 47 million gallons
- August 2015 55 million gallons
- August 2016 61 million gallons
- August 2017 47 million gallons
Displayed in millions of gallons
Average daily water consumption by each residential customer
- About 83.0% of water consumption in the Riverside Highland Water Company is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 8.77 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
- 110.40
- average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
- 101.50
- average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
Year-over-year water consumption
- 2013 62 million gallons
- 2015 56 million gallons
- 2016 46 million gallons
- 2013 58 million gallons
- 2015 60 million gallons
- 2016 54 million gallons
- 2013 84 million gallons
- 2015 82 million gallons
- 2016 56 million gallons
- 2013 106 million gallons
- 2015 87 million gallons
- 2016 68 million gallons
- 2013 129 million gallons
- 2015 81 million gallons
- 2016 80 million gallons
- 2013 140 million gallons
- 2015 100 million gallons
- 2016 104 million gallons
- 2013 150 million gallons
- 2015 91 million gallons
- 2016 117 million gallons
- 2013 153 million gallons
- 2015 103 million gallons
- 2016 121 million gallons
- 2013 140 million gallons
- 2015 89 million gallons
- 2016 107 million gallons
- 2013 111 million gallons
- 2015 77 million gallons
- 2016 93 million gallons
- 2013 86 million gallons
- 2015 66 million gallons
- 2016 78 million gallons
- 2013 70 million gallons
- 2015 55 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*
- Riverside Highland Water Company water use decreased by 31.40 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.
- 18.056
- billion gallons consumed
- over the same months in 2013.
- 12.387
- 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 Riverside Highland 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 Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2017 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2017 | Watering Days3 | 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 Days3 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMarch 2017 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | 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 Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2016 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2016 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2016 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2016 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJune 2016 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMay 2016 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received1 | Follow-up Actions1 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthApril 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received162 | Follow-up Actions162 | Warnings Issued— | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMarch 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions138 | Warnings Issued138 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthFebruary 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions35 | Warnings Issued35 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJanuary 2016 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received1 | Follow-up Actions1 | Warnings Issued1 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received3 | Follow-up Actions191 | Warnings Issued191 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthNovember 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received4 | Follow-up Actions313 | Warnings Issued313 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2015 | Watering Days2 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions185 | Warnings Issued182 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2015 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received4 | Follow-up Actions187 | Warnings Issued183 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2015 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received2 | Follow-up Actions160 | Warnings Issued158 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2015 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received27 | Follow-up Actions27 | Warnings Issued158 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJune 2015 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received162 | Follow-up Actions162 | Warnings Issued109 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMay 2015 | Watering Days3 | Complaints Received15 | Follow-up Actions15 | Warnings Issued7 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthApril 2015 | Watering Days4 | Complaints Received4 | Follow-up Actions6 | Warnings Issued4 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMarch 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received— | Follow-up Actions— | 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
Repair broken sprinklers
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.