Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Los Angeles County Public Works Waterworks District 40

Water consumption in the Los Angeles County Public Works Waterworks District 40 increased 6.20 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has increased 3.72 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 710 million gallons
  • August 2014 681 million gallons
  • August 2015 694 million gallons
  • August 2016 737 million gallons
  • August 2017 681 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 77.0% of water consumption in the Los Angeles County Public Works Waterworks District 40 is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 6.14 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
88.10
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
83.00
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 763 million gallons
  • 2015 689 million gallons
  • 2016 665 million gallons
February
  • 2013 719 million gallons
  • 2015 675 million gallons
  • 2016 631 million gallons
March
  • 2013 1151 million gallons
  • 2015 949 million gallons
  • 2016 761 million gallons
April
  • 2013 1345 million gallons
  • 2015 1168 million gallons
  • 2016 977 million gallons
May
  • 2013 1643 million gallons
  • 2015 1274 million gallons
  • 2016 1283 million gallons
June
  • 2013 2160 million gallons
  • 2015 1254 million gallons
  • 2016 1655 million gallons
July
  • 2013 1971 million gallons
  • 2015 1181 million gallons
  • 2016 1773 million gallons
August
  • 2013 2334 million gallons
  • 2015 1514 million gallons
  • 2016 1533 million gallons
September
  • 2013 1652 million gallons
  • 2015 1200 million gallons
  • 2016 1598 million gallons
October
  • 2013 1396 million gallons
  • 2015 1051 million gallons
  • 2016 1262 million gallons
November
  • 2013 1172 million gallons
  • 2015 891 million gallons
  • 2016 898 million gallons
August
  • 2013 710 million gallons
  • 2015 694 million gallons
  • 2016 737 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Los Angeles County Public Works Waterworks District 40 water use decreased by 28.88 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — but the agency failed to meet a 32 percent reduction.
238.237
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
169.428
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 Los Angeles County Public Works Waterworks District 40 to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued10 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued8 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received29 Follow-up Actions29 Warnings Issued29 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2014 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2014 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2014 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2014 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2014 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed

Here are some ways you can help conserve water

Capture tap water

Repair broken sprinklers

Take shorter showers

Plant California Friendly plants

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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