Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the California-American Water Company Monterey District

Water consumption in the California-American Water Company Monterey District decreased 0.25 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 20.08 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 276 million gallons
  • August 2014 212 million gallons
  • August 2015 211 million gallons
  • August 2016 211 million gallons
  • August 2017 212 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 68.0% of water consumption in the California-American Water Company Monterey District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 7.71 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
50.30
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
46.70
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 243 million gallons
  • 2015 248 million gallons
  • 2016 203 million gallons
February
  • 2013 231 million gallons
  • 2015 228 million gallons
  • 2016 208 million gallons
March
  • 2013 278 million gallons
  • 2015 264 million gallons
  • 2016 212 million gallons
April
  • 2013 278 million gallons
  • 2015 279 million gallons
  • 2016 254 million gallons
May
  • 2013 352 million gallons
  • 2015 278 million gallons
  • 2016 271 million gallons
June
  • 2013 344 million gallons
  • 2015 293 million gallons
  • 2016 297 million gallons
July
  • 2013 367 million gallons
  • 2015 323 million gallons
  • 2016 308 million gallons
August
  • 2013 369 million gallons
  • 2015 329 million gallons
  • 2016 308 million gallons
September
  • 2013 335 million gallons
  • 2015 308 million gallons
  • 2016 296 million gallons
October
  • 2013 327 million gallons
  • 2015 288 million gallons
  • 2016 269 million gallons
November
  • 2013 280 million gallons
  • 2015 218 million gallons
  • 2016 218 million gallons
August
  • 2013 263 million gallons
  • 2015 211 million gallons
  • 2016 211 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

California-American Water Company Monterey District water use decreased by 19.96 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 8 percent reduction.
54.522
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
43.640
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 California-American Water Company Monterey District to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed1
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued11 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued8 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed1
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued10 Penalties Assessed1
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received27 Follow-up Actions27 Warnings Issued27 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received33 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued28 Penalties Assessed2
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received27 Follow-up Actions27 Warnings Issued27 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received20 Follow-up Actions20 Warnings Issued20 Penalties Assessed1
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued28 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received41 Follow-up Actions41 Warnings Issued41 Penalties Assessed1
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received27 Follow-up Actions27 Warnings Issued27 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued7 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

Repair broken sprinklers

Wash only full loads

Take shorter showers

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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