Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Truckee-Donner Public Utilities District

Water consumption in the Truckee-Donner Public Utilities District decreased 2.66 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 9.98 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 83 million gallons
  • August 2014 76 million gallons
  • August 2015 77 million gallons
  • August 2016 75 million gallons
  • August 2017 76 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 77.0% of water consumption in the Truckee-Donner Public Utilities District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 9.60 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
56.50
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
62.50
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 96 million gallons
  • 2015 79 million gallons
  • 2016 78 million gallons
February
  • 2013 83 million gallons
  • 2015 66 million gallons
  • 2016 69 million gallons
March
  • 2013 88 million gallons
  • 2015 72 million gallons
  • 2016 71 million gallons
April
  • 2013 108 million gallons
  • 2015 73 million gallons
  • 2016 68 million gallons
May
  • 2013 181 million gallons
  • 2015 91 million gallons
  • 2016 85 million gallons
June
  • 2013 199 million gallons
  • 2015 130 million gallons
  • 2016 154 million gallons
July
  • 2013 244 million gallons
  • 2015 148 million gallons
  • 2016 197 million gallons
August
  • 2013 218 million gallons
  • 2015 154 million gallons
  • 2016 195 million gallons
September
  • 2013 168 million gallons
  • 2015 137 million gallons
  • 2016 154 million gallons
October
  • 2013 103 million gallons
  • 2015 96 million gallons
  • 2016 87 million gallons
November
  • 2013 71 million gallons
  • 2015 67 million gallons
  • 2016 64 million gallons
August
  • 2013 83 million gallons
  • 2015 77 million gallons
  • 2016 75 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Truckee-Donner Public Utilities District water use decreased by 28.20 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 28 percent reduction.
22.986
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
16.503
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 Truckee-Donner Public Utilities District to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints 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
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 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 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 Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions17 Warnings Issued8 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days4 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2015 Watering Days4 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 Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2014 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2014 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2014 Watering Days2 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

Wash cars with a bucket and sponge

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

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

Repair broken sprinklers

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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