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 San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
- Water consumption in the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission decreased 0.73 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 15.13 percent over the past five years.
- August 2013 2102 million gallons
- August 2014 1889 million gallons
- August 2015 1809 million gallons
- August 2016 1796 million gallons
- August 2017 1889 million gallons
Displayed in millions of gallons
Average daily water consumption by each residential customer
- About 60.0% of water consumption in the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 0.74 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
- 40.60
- average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
- 40.30
- average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
Year-over-year water consumption
- 2013 2181 million gallons
- 2015 2019 million gallons
- 2016 1851 million gallons
- 2013 2002 million gallons
- 2015 1875 million gallons
- 2016 1734 million gallons
- 2013 2152 million gallons
- 2015 2061 million gallons
- 2016 1931 million gallons
- 2013 2231 million gallons
- 2015 1938 million gallons
- 2016 1964 million gallons
- 2013 2451 million gallons
- 2015 2004 million gallons
- 2016 2072 million gallons
- 2013 2425 million gallons
- 2015 1954 million gallons
- 2016 2123 million gallons
- 2013 2473 million gallons
- 2015 2078 million gallons
- 2016 2160 million gallons
- 2013 2478 million gallons
- 2015 2138 million gallons
- 2016 2170 million gallons
- 2013 2388 million gallons
- 2015 2073 million gallons
- 2016 2089 million gallons
- 2013 2399 million gallons
- 2015 2039 million gallons
- 2016 2046 million gallons
- 2013 2134 million gallons
- 2015 1850 million gallons
- 2016 1820 million gallons
- 2013 2116 million gallons
- 2015 1809 million gallons
- 2016 1796 million gallons
Displayed in millions of gallons
2014 water use data is incomplete and therefore not displayed
Progress toward mandatory water reduction*
- San Francisco Public Utilities Commission water use decreased by 14.35 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 8 percent reduction.
- 384.000
- billion gallons consumed
- over the same months in 2013.
- 328.889
- 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 Francisco Public Utilities Commission to the State Water Resources Control Board.
| Month | Watering Days | Complaints | Follow-up Actions | Warnings Issued | Penalties Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MonthAugust 2017 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received17 | Follow-up Actions13 | Warnings Issued10 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2017 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received21 | Follow-up Actions20 | Warnings Issued14 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2017 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received25 | Follow-up Actions19 | Warnings Issued17 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2017 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received22 | Follow-up Actions21 | Warnings Issued20 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received13 | Follow-up Actions12 | Warnings Issued11 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received16 | Follow-up Actions14 | Warnings Issued14 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJune 2017 | Watering Days7 | Complaints Received14 | Follow-up Actions9 | Warnings Issued7 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMay 2017 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received12 | Follow-up Actions9 | Warnings Issued8 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthApril 2017 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received6 | Follow-up Actions7 | Warnings Issued5 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMarch 2017 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received14 | Follow-up Actions10 | Warnings Issued9 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthFebruary 2017 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received13 | Follow-up Actions9 | Warnings Issued8 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJanuary 2017 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received11 | Follow-up Actions6 | Warnings Issued5 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2016 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received17 | Follow-up Actions13 | Warnings Issued10 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthNovember 2016 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received21 | Follow-up Actions20 | Warnings Issued14 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2016 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received25 | Follow-up Actions19 | Warnings Issued17 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2016 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received22 | Follow-up Actions21 | Warnings Issued20 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2016 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received20 | Follow-up Actions16 | Warnings Issued14 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2016 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received36 | Follow-up Actions34 | Warnings Issued28 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJune 2016 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received30 | Follow-up Actions27 | Warnings Issued20 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMay 2016 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received26 | Follow-up Actions20 | Warnings Issued17 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthApril 2016 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received31 | Follow-up Actions25 | Warnings Issued16 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMarch 2016 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received35 | Follow-up Actions32 | Warnings Issued25 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthFebruary 2016 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received37 | Follow-up Actions51 | Warnings Issued36 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJanuary 2016 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received28 | Follow-up Actions26 | Warnings Issued19 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received43 | Follow-up Actions39 | Warnings Issued31 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthNovember 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received61 | Follow-up Actions48 | Warnings Issued39 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthOctober 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received120 | Follow-up Actions105 | Warnings Issued78 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthSeptember 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received111 | Follow-up Actions104 | Warnings Issued73 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthAugust 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received134 | Follow-up Actions159 | Warnings Issued122 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJuly 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received158 | Follow-up Actions206 | Warnings Issued167 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthJune 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received161 | Follow-up Actions130 | Warnings Issued108 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMay 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received120 | Follow-up Actions117 | Warnings Issued96 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthApril 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received194 | Follow-up Actions198 | Warnings Issued166 | Penalties Assessed— |
| MonthMarch 2015 | Watering Days— | Complaints Received113 | Follow-up Actions113 | Warnings Issued83 | 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
Capture tap water
Wash only full loads
Repair leaks
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.