Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Olivenhain Municipal Water District

Water consumption in the Olivenhain Municipal Water District decreased 8.68 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 28.19 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 418 million gallons
  • August 2014 245 million gallons
  • August 2015 317 million gallons
  • August 2016 289 million gallons
  • August 2017 245 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 78.0% of water consumption in the Olivenhain Municipal Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 8.28 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
90.80
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
99.00
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 313 million gallons
  • 2015 333 million gallons
  • 2016 241 million gallons
February
  • 2013 305 million gallons
  • 2015 398 million gallons
  • 2016 337 million gallons
March
  • 2013 459 million gallons
  • 2015 494 million gallons
  • 2016 363 million gallons
April
  • 2013 539 million gallons
  • 2015 555 million gallons
  • 2016 411 million gallons
May
  • 2013 649 million gallons
  • 2015 429 million gallons
  • 2016 461 million gallons
June
  • 2013 716 million gallons
  • 2015 482 million gallons
  • 2016 533 million gallons
July
  • 2013 737 million gallons
  • 2015 444 million gallons
  • 2016 636 million gallons
August
  • 2013 723 million gallons
  • 2015 538 million gallons
  • 2016 659 million gallons
September
  • 2013 705 million gallons
  • 2015 490 million gallons
  • 2016 562 million gallons
October
  • 2013 588 million gallons
  • 2015 441 million gallons
  • 2016 556 million gallons
November
  • 2013 426 million gallons
  • 2015 380 million gallons
  • 2016 434 million gallons
August
  • 2013 403 million gallons
  • 2015 317 million gallons
  • 2016 289 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Olivenhain Municipal Water District water use decreased by 25.61 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.
92.310
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
68.668
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 Olivenhain Municipal 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 Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued13 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued14 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued16 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued13 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued14 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued8 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued15 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued15 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received21 Follow-up Actions18 Warnings Issued18 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received18 Follow-up Actions18 Warnings Issued11 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions44 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received70 Follow-up Actions94 Warnings Issued47 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received440 Follow-up Actions423 Warnings Issued375 Penalties Assessed29
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received552 Follow-up Actions602 Warnings Issued462 Penalties Assessed23
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received561 Follow-up Actions399 Warnings Issued370 Penalties Assessed16
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received397 Follow-up Actions288 Warnings Issued251 Penalties Assessed10
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received137 Follow-up Actions179 Warnings Issued133 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received39 Follow-up Actions29 Warnings Issued27 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received33 Follow-up Actions25 Warnings Issued15 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued12 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days3 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 cars with a bucket and sponge

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth

Plant California Friendly plants

Repair leaks

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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