Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Humboldt Community Service District

Water consumption in the Humboldt Community Service District decreased 7.42 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 6.96 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 57 million gallons
  • August 2014 55 million gallons
  • August 2015 57 million gallons
  • August 2016 53 million gallons
  • August 2017 55 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 61.0% of water consumption in the Humboldt Community Service District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 17.49 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
45.30
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
54.90
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 62 million gallons
  • 2015 55 million gallons
  • 2016 46 million gallons
February
  • 2013 54 million gallons
  • 2015 57 million gallons
  • 2016 54 million gallons
March
  • 2013 60 million gallons
  • 2015 55 million gallons
  • 2016 58 million gallons
April
  • 2013 56 million gallons
  • 2015 54 million gallons
  • 2016 58 million gallons
May
  • 2013 69 million gallons
  • 2015 60 million gallons
  • 2016 58 million gallons
June
  • 2013 76 million gallons
  • 2015 66 million gallons
  • 2016 74 million gallons
July
  • 2013 80 million gallons
  • 2015 70 million gallons
  • 2016 73 million gallons
August
  • 2013 80 million gallons
  • 2015 73 million gallons
  • 2016 72 million gallons
September
  • 2013 76 million gallons
  • 2015 66 million gallons
  • 2016 68 million gallons
October
  • 2013 64 million gallons
  • 2015 59 million gallons
  • 2016 59 million gallons
November
  • 2013 61 million gallons
  • 2015 59 million gallons
  • 2016 55 million gallons
August
  • 2013 57 million gallons
  • 2015 57 million gallons
  • 2016 53 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Humboldt Community Service District water use decreased by 8.75 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — but the agency failed to meet a 24 percent reduction.
11.125
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
10.152
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 Humboldt Community Service District to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued 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 Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed

Here are some ways you can help conserve water

Plant California Friendly plants

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

Repair leaks

Wash only full loads

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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