Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Victorville Water District

Water consumption in the Victorville Water District decreased 10.47 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 11.56 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 428 million gallons
  • August 2014 369 million gallons
  • August 2015 420 million gallons
  • August 2016 376 million gallons
  • August 2017 369 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 74.0% of water consumption in the Victorville Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 18.97 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
73.90
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
91.20
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 412 million gallons
  • 2015 340 million gallons
  • 2016 314 million gallons
February
  • 2013 389 million gallons
  • 2015 371 million gallons
  • 2016 314 million gallons
March
  • 2013 574 million gallons
  • 2015 539 million gallons
  • 2016 395 million gallons
April
  • 2013 646 million gallons
  • 2015 589 million gallons
  • 2016 457 million gallons
May
  • 2013 752 million gallons
  • 2015 633 million gallons
  • 2016 551 million gallons
June
  • 2013 842 million gallons
  • 2015 652 million gallons
  • 2016 667 million gallons
July
  • 2013 936 million gallons
  • 2015 616 million gallons
  • 2016 740 million gallons
August
  • 2013 900 million gallons
  • 2015 655 million gallons
  • 2016 740 million gallons
September
  • 2013 726 million gallons
  • 2015 564 million gallons
  • 2016 619 million gallons
October
  • 2013 640 million gallons
  • 2015 488 million gallons
  • 2016 403 million gallons
November
  • 2013 498 million gallons
  • 2015 414 million gallons
  • 2016 434 million gallons
August
  • 2013 426 million gallons
  • 2015 420 million gallons
  • 2016 376 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Victorville Water District water use decreased by 25.04 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — but the agency failed to meet a 28 percent reduction.
109.076
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
81.758
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 Victorville Water District to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received43 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued43 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued27 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued68 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions21 Warnings Issued21 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued26 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 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 Actions26 Warnings Issued32 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received43 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued43 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued27 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions77 Warnings Issued244 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions122 Warnings Issued55 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions179 Warnings Issued288 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions233 Warnings Issued172 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions163 Warnings Issued122 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions20 Warnings Issued39 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions71 Warnings Issued86 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions91 Warnings Issued109 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions22 Warnings Issued81 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received19 Follow-up Actions132 Warnings Issued55 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received25 Follow-up Actions288 Warnings Issued187 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions55 Warnings Issued109 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions127 Warnings Issued127 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions166 Warnings Issued166 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions50 Warnings Issued25 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received114 Follow-up Actions114 Warnings Issued107 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2015 Watering Days7 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

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth

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

Plant California Friendly plants

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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