Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Rowland Water District

Water consumption in the Rowland Water District decreased 9.50 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 13.94 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 275 million gallons
  • August 2014 235 million gallons
  • August 2015 261 million gallons
  • August 2016 237 million gallons
  • August 2017 235 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 51.0% of water consumption in the Rowland Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 9.52 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
62.70
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
69.30
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 254 million gallons
  • 2015 244 million gallons
  • 2016 228 million gallons
February
  • 2013 227 million gallons
  • 2015 258 million gallons
  • 2016 244 million gallons
March
  • 2013 276 million gallons
  • 2015 298 million gallons
  • 2016 228 million gallons
April
  • 2013 298 million gallons
  • 2015 285 million gallons
  • 2016 251 million gallons
May
  • 2013 334 million gallons
  • 2015 281 million gallons
  • 2016 267 million gallons
June
  • 2013 344 million gallons
  • 2015 286 million gallons
  • 2016 291 million gallons
July
  • 2013 370 million gallons
  • 2015 301 million gallons
  • 2016 315 million gallons
August
  • 2013 380 million gallons
  • 2015 308 million gallons
  • 2016 327 million gallons
September
  • 2013 362 million gallons
  • 2015 294 million gallons
  • 2016 302 million gallons
October
  • 2013 337 million gallons
  • 2015 282 million gallons
  • 2016 280 million gallons
November
  • 2013 287 million gallons
  • 2015 266 million gallons
  • 2016 257 million gallons
August
  • 2013 275 million gallons
  • 2015 261 million gallons
  • 2016 237 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Rowland Water District water use decreased by 12.50 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — but the agency failed to meet a 20 percent reduction.
51.460
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
45.028
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 Rowland Water District to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received44 Follow-up Actions44 Warnings Issued44 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received44 Follow-up Actions44 Warnings Issued44 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received42 Follow-up Actions42 Warnings Issued42 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received54 Follow-up Actions54 Warnings Issued54 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received62 Follow-up Actions62 Warnings Issued62 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days4 Complaints Received89 Follow-up Actions89 Warnings Issued89 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received84 Follow-up Actions84 Warnings Issued84 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received69 Follow-up Actions69 Warnings Issued69 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received53 Follow-up Actions53 Warnings Issued53 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received51 Follow-up Actions51 Warnings Issued51 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received57 Follow-up Actions57 Warnings Issued57 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received41 Follow-up Actions41 Warnings Issued41 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received44 Follow-up Actions44 Warnings Issued44 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received44 Follow-up Actions44 Warnings Issued44 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received42 Follow-up Actions42 Warnings Issued42 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received54 Follow-up Actions54 Warnings Issued54 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received68 Follow-up Actions68 Warnings Issued68 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received62 Follow-up Actions62 Warnings Issued62 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received34 Follow-up Actions34 Warnings Issued34 Penalties Assessed12
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received40 Follow-up Actions40 Warnings Issued40 Penalties Assessed20
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received46 Follow-up Actions46 Warnings Issued46 Penalties Assessed19
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received53 Follow-up Actions53 Warnings Issued53 Penalties Assessed23
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received66 Follow-up Actions66 Warnings Issued66 Penalties Assessed35
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received70 Follow-up Actions70 Warnings Issued70 Penalties Assessed43
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received55 Follow-up Actions55 Warnings Issued55 Penalties Assessed24
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received72 Follow-up Actions72 Warnings Issued72 Penalties Assessed41
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed8
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received43 Follow-up Actions42 Warnings Issued42 Penalties Assessed5
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received20 Follow-up Actions20 Warnings Issued20 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued13 Penalties Assessed1
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received17 Follow-up Actions17 Warnings Issued17 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed6
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received7 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days 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 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

Repair broken sprinklers

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

Plant California Friendly plants

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth

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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