Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Montecito Water District

Water consumption in the Montecito Water District decreased 36.59 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 25.53 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 131 million gallons
  • August 2014 48 million gallons
  • August 2015 90 million gallons
  • August 2016 57 million gallons
  • August 2017 48 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 65.0% of water consumption in the Montecito Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 40.26 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
88.60
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
148.30
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 49 million gallons
  • 2015 62 million gallons
  • 2016 46 million gallons
February
  • 2013 107 million gallons
  • 2015 62 million gallons
  • 2016 63 million gallons
March
  • 2013 144 million gallons
  • 2015 91 million gallons
  • 2016 68 million gallons
April
  • 2013 180 million gallons
  • 2015 102 million gallons
  • 2016 89 million gallons
May
  • 2013 206 million gallons
  • 2015 115 million gallons
  • 2016 111 million gallons
June
  • 2013 198 million gallons
  • 2015 102 million gallons
  • 2016 108 million gallons
July
  • 2013 260 million gallons
  • 2015 129 million gallons
  • 2016 133 million gallons
August
  • 2013 231 million gallons
  • 2015 137 million gallons
  • 2016 125 million gallons
September
  • 2013 248 million gallons
  • 2015 128 million gallons
  • 2016 123 million gallons
October
  • 2013 218 million gallons
  • 2015 128 million gallons
  • 2016 112 million gallons
November
  • 2013 172 million gallons
  • 2015 102 million gallons
  • 2016 80 million gallons
August
  • 2013 77 million gallons
  • 2015 90 million gallons
  • 2016 57 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Montecito Water District water use decreased by 45.40 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 32 percent reduction.
30.579
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
16.697
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 Montecito Water District to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions32 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions24 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions51 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received24 Follow-up Actions55 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions42 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions31 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received17 Follow-up Actions36 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions35 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions34 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions27 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions40 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions32 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions24 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions51 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions57 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions71 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received20 Follow-up Actions41 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions37 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions48 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received22 Follow-up Actions36 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received21 Follow-up Actions39 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions20 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions45 Warnings Issued36 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received17 Follow-up Actions17 Warnings Issued26 Penalties Assessed510
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received29 Follow-up Actions29 Warnings Issued31 Penalties Assessed489
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received30 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued28 Penalties Assessed515
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received48 Follow-up Actions33 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed491
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received17 Follow-up Actions34 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed380
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received42 Follow-up Actions34 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed282
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received55 Follow-up Actions35 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed266
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received45 Follow-up Actions34 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed671
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received25 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed276
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

Repair broken sprinklers

Capture tap water

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

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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