Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the City Of Santa Barbara

Water consumption in the City Of Santa Barbara decreased 13.76 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 38.12 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 329 million gallons
  • August 2014 212 million gallons
  • August 2015 236 million gallons
  • August 2016 203 million gallons
  • August 2017 212 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 79.0% of water consumption in the City Of Santa Barbara is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 16.16 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
55.50
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
66.20
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 284 million gallons
  • 2015 235 million gallons
  • 2016 201 million gallons
February
  • 2013 292 million gallons
  • 2015 228 million gallons
  • 2016 198 million gallons
March
  • 2013 363 million gallons
  • 2015 276 million gallons
  • 2016 217 million gallons
April
  • 2013 401 million gallons
  • 2015 287 million gallons
  • 2016 237 million gallons
May
  • 2013 447 million gallons
  • 2015 280 million gallons
  • 2016 263 million gallons
June
  • 2013 443 million gallons
  • 2015 263 million gallons
  • 2016 285 million gallons
July
  • 2013 467 million gallons
  • 2015 297 million gallons
  • 2016 289 million gallons
August
  • 2013 499 million gallons
  • 2015 320 million gallons
  • 2016 290 million gallons
September
  • 2013 467 million gallons
  • 2015 305 million gallons
  • 2016 275 million gallons
October
  • 2013 423 million gallons
  • 2015 303 million gallons
  • 2016 269 million gallons
November
  • 2013 356 million gallons
  • 2015 248 million gallons
  • 2016 231 million gallons
August
  • 2013 329 million gallons
  • 2015 236 million gallons
  • 2016 203 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

City Of Santa Barbara water use decreased by 35.28 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 12 percent reduction.
66.795
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
43.231
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 City Of Santa Barbara to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received17 Follow-up Actions17 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received42 Follow-up Actions42 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received56 Follow-up Actions55 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received19 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received26 Follow-up Actions26 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received19 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received19 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received17 Follow-up Actions17 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received42 Follow-up Actions42 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received56 Follow-up Actions55 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received47 Follow-up Actions46 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received38 Follow-up Actions35 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received44 Follow-up Actions42 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received39 Follow-up Actions38 Warnings Issued16 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received27 Follow-up Actions27 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received26 Follow-up Actions26 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed8
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received21 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received52 Follow-up Actions50 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received58 Follow-up Actions50 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received62 Follow-up Actions59 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received91 Follow-up Actions89 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received121 Follow-up Actions108 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received167 Follow-up Actions155 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received140 Follow-up Actions128 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received71 Follow-up Actions71 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received23 Follow-up Actions16 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

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth

Wash cars with a bucket and sponge

Capture tap water

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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