Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the San Bernardino County Service Area 64

Water consumption in the San Bernardino County Service Area 64 increased 10.11 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 1.00 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 46 million gallons
  • August 2014 45 million gallons
  • August 2015 41 million gallons
  • August 2016 45 million gallons
  • August 2017 45 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 39.0% of water consumption in the San Bernardino County Service Area 64 is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 22.44 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
58.40
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
75.30
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 42 million gallons
  • 2015 38 million gallons
  • 2016 34 million gallons
February
  • 2013 38 million gallons
  • 2015 42 million gallons
  • 2016 38 million gallons
March
  • 2013 67 million gallons
  • 2015 63 million gallons
  • 2016 50 million gallons
April
  • 2013 83 million gallons
  • 2015 69 million gallons
  • 2016 57 million gallons
May
  • 2013 100 million gallons
  • 2015 78 million gallons
  • 2016 71 million gallons
June
  • 2013 117 million gallons
  • 2015 85 million gallons
  • 2016 85 million gallons
July
  • 2013 133 million gallons
  • 2015 85 million gallons
  • 2016 98 million gallons
August
  • 2013 124 million gallons
  • 2015 78 million gallons
  • 2016 101 million gallons
September
  • 2013 113 million gallons
  • 2015 74 million gallons
  • 2016 89 million gallons
October
  • 2013 94 million gallons
  • 2015 65 million gallons
  • 2016 76 million gallons
November
  • 2013 66 million gallons
  • 2015 51 million gallons
  • 2016 59 million gallons
August
  • 2013 46 million gallons
  • 2015 41 million gallons
  • 2016 45 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

San Bernardino County Service Area 64 water use decreased by 28.68 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — but the agency failed to meet a 32 percent reduction.
14.314
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
10.209
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 San Bernardino County Service Area 64 to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days4 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued14 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days4 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued15 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days4 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days4 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued18 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days 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 Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days4 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days4 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued10 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days4 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days4 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued14 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days4 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued15 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days4 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days4 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued18 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days4 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued19 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions62 Warnings Issued39 Penalties Assessed3
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued42 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued42 Penalties Assessed3
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued19 Penalties Assessed2
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued17 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued14 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued12 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued30 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued12 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions45 Warnings Issued16 Penalties Assessed3
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued18 Penalties Assessed1
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued147 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions75 Warnings Issued191 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2014 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2014 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2014 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2014 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2014 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed

Here are some ways you can help conserve water

Wash only full loads

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

Repair leaks

Capture tap water

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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