Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Valley Center Municipal Water District

Water consumption in the Valley Center Municipal Water District decreased 15.15 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 55.26 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 579 million gallons
  • August 2014 185 million gallons
  • August 2015 91 million gallons
  • August 2016 77 million gallons
  • August 2017 185 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 28.0% of water consumption in the Valley Center Municipal Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 1.59 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
86.60
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
88.00
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 160 million gallons
  • 2015 366 million gallons
  • 2016 94 million gallons
February
  • 2013 94 million gallons
  • 2015 502 million gallons
  • 2016 115 million gallons
March
  • 2013 181 million gallons
  • 2015 601 million gallons
  • 2016 115 million gallons
April
  • 2013 211 million gallons
  • 2015 722 million gallons
  • 2016 130 million gallons
May
  • 2013 267 million gallons
  • 2015 457 million gallons
  • 2016 153 million gallons
June
  • 2013 306 million gallons
  • 2015 193 million gallons
  • 2016 222 million gallons
July
  • 2013 322 million gallons
  • 2015 167 million gallons
  • 2016 250 million gallons
August
  • 2013 351 million gallons
  • 2015 231 million gallons
  • 2016 253 million gallons
September
  • 2013 333 million gallons
  • 2015 169 million gallons
  • 2016 225 million gallons
October
  • 2013 236 million gallons
  • 2015 199 million gallons
  • 2016 203 million gallons
November
  • 2013 182 million gallons
  • 2015 136 million gallons
  • 2016 150 million gallons
August
  • 2013 173 million gallons
  • 2015 91 million gallons
  • 2016 77 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Valley Center Municipal Water District water use decreased by 36.24 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 36 percent reduction.
39.341
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
25.082
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 Valley Center Municipal Water 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 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 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 Received Follow-up Actions 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 Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed1
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed1
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed1
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received61 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued34 Penalties Assessed12
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received41 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued23 Penalties Assessed7
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received63 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued31 Penalties Assessed7
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received53 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued39 Penalties Assessed4
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received106 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued44 Penalties Assessed4
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received516 Follow-up Actions53 Warnings Issued226 Penalties Assessed26
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1201 Follow-up Actions754 Warnings Issued28 Penalties Assessed1
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received19 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued 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 Days2 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

Wash only full loads

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

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

Repair leaks

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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