Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Walnut Valley Water District

Water consumption in the Walnut Valley Water District decreased 2.62 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 19.54 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 457 million gallons
  • August 2014 335 million gallons
  • August 2015 377 million gallons
  • August 2016 367 million gallons
  • August 2017 335 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 84.0% of water consumption in the Walnut Valley Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 4.87 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
87.90
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
92.40
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 377 million gallons
  • 2015 390 million gallons
  • 2016 325 million gallons
February
  • 2013 366 million gallons
  • 2015 391 million gallons
  • 2016 335 million gallons
March
  • 2013 487 million gallons
  • 2015 466 million gallons
  • 2016 367 million gallons
April
  • 2013 554 million gallons
  • 2015 481 million gallons
  • 2016 399 million gallons
May
  • 2013 620 million gallons
  • 2015 443 million gallons
  • 2016 444 million gallons
June
  • 2013 678 million gallons
  • 2015 484 million gallons
  • 2016 524 million gallons
July
  • 2013 700 million gallons
  • 2015 498 million gallons
  • 2016 597 million gallons
August
  • 2013 752 million gallons
  • 2015 527 million gallons
  • 2016 598 million gallons
September
  • 2013 672 million gallons
  • 2015 465 million gallons
  • 2016 571 million gallons
October
  • 2013 605 million gallons
  • 2015 466 million gallons
  • 2016 501 million gallons
November
  • 2013 457 million gallons
  • 2015 423 million gallons
  • 2016 367 million gallons
August
  • 2013 457 million gallons
  • 2015 377 million gallons
  • 2016 367 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Walnut Valley Water District water use decreased by 24.63 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.
94.933
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
71.546
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 Walnut Valley 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 Received2 Follow-up Actions145 Warnings Issued56 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions110 Warnings Issued32 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions109 Warnings Issued66 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions114 Warnings Issued58 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions165 Warnings Issued79 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions95 Warnings Issued30 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions113 Warnings Issued25 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions128 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions100 Warnings Issued53 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions117 Warnings Issued49 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions137 Warnings Issued57 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions84 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions145 Warnings Issued56 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions145 Warnings Issued56 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions109 Warnings Issued66 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions114 Warnings Issued58 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions165 Warnings Issued79 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions95 Warnings Issued30 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions111 Warnings Issued76 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions144 Warnings Issued46 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions98 Warnings Issued64 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions174 Warnings Issued63 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions119 Warnings Issued97 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions141 Warnings Issued83 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions180 Warnings Issued114 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions162 Warnings Issued58 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions113 Warnings Issued57 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received18 Follow-up Actions159 Warnings Issued114 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received33 Follow-up Actions125 Warnings Issued129 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received70 Follow-up Actions67 Warnings Issued184 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received43 Follow-up Actions86 Warnings Issued174 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions101 Warnings Issued58 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 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 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

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

Capture tap water

Wash only full loads

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

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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