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 Cruz

Water consumption in the City Of Santa Cruz increased 1.62 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 29.71 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 240 million gallons
  • August 2014 182 million gallons
  • August 2015 166 million gallons
  • August 2016 169 million gallons
  • August 2017 182 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 60.0% of water consumption in the City Of Santa Cruz is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 2.42 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
33.80
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
33.00
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 216 million gallons
  • 2015 200 million gallons
  • 2016 179 million gallons
February
  • 2013 207 million gallons
  • 2015 183 million gallons
  • 2016 163 million gallons
March
  • 2013 240 million gallons
  • 2015 207 million gallons
  • 2016 181 million gallons
April
  • 2013 265 million gallons
  • 2015 205 million gallons
  • 2016 202 million gallons
May
  • 2013 328 million gallons
  • 2015 213 million gallons
  • 2016 234 million gallons
June
  • 2013 325 million gallons
  • 2015 220 million gallons
  • 2016 257 million gallons
July
  • 2013 338 million gallons
  • 2015 235 million gallons
  • 2016 264 million gallons
August
  • 2013 332 million gallons
  • 2015 235 million gallons
  • 2016 256 million gallons
September
  • 2013 301 million gallons
  • 2015 225 million gallons
  • 2016 248 million gallons
October
  • 2013 301 million gallons
  • 2015 226 million gallons
  • 2016 222 million gallons
November
  • 2013 259 million gallons
  • 2015 184 million gallons
  • 2016 182 million gallons
August
  • 2013 240 million gallons
  • 2015 166 million gallons
  • 2016 169 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 Cruz water use decreased by 26.94 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 8 percent reduction.
46.932
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
34.289
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 Cruz to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received34 Follow-up Actions34 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 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 Received8 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received34 Follow-up Actions34 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received31 Follow-up Actions31 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received24 Follow-up Actions24 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received26 Follow-up Actions26 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days1 Complaints Received70 Follow-up Actions68 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed921
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days1 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions26 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed971
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days1 Complaints Received63 Follow-up Actions29 Warnings Issued33 Penalties Assessed1421
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days1 Complaints Received59 Follow-up Actions37 Warnings Issued22 Penalties Assessed1020
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days1 Complaints Received76 Follow-up Actions46 Warnings Issued30 Penalties Assessed649
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days1 Complaints Received91 Follow-up Actions64 Warnings Issued27 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days Complaints Received42 Follow-up Actions32 Warnings Issued10 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 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

Wash only full loads

Repair leaks

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

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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