Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the San Gabriel Valley Water Company

Water consumption in the San Gabriel Valley Water Company decreased 3.21 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 14.35 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 838 million gallons
  • August 2014 701 million gallons
  • August 2015 741 million gallons
  • August 2016 718 million gallons
  • August 2017 701 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 60.0% of water consumption in the San Gabriel Valley Water Company is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 2.45 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
54.40
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
53.10
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 755 million gallons
  • 2015 749 million gallons
  • 2016 672 million gallons
February
  • 2013 705 million gallons
  • 2015 748 million gallons
  • 2016 653 million gallons
March
  • 2013 855 million gallons
  • 2015 922 million gallons
  • 2016 716 million gallons
April
  • 2013 967 million gallons
  • 2015 883 million gallons
  • 2016 771 million gallons
May
  • 2013 1357 million gallons
  • 2015 880 million gallons
  • 2016 844 million gallons
June
  • 2013 1413 million gallons
  • 2015 936 million gallons
  • 2016 921 million gallons
July
  • 2013 1502 million gallons
  • 2015 907 million gallons
  • 2016 1019 million gallons
August
  • 2013 1484 million gallons
  • 2015 940 million gallons
  • 2016 1034 million gallons
September
  • 2013 1122 million gallons
  • 2015 855 million gallons
  • 2016 958 million gallons
October
  • 2013 1029 million gallons
  • 2015 835 million gallons
  • 2016 905 million gallons
November
  • 2013 899 million gallons
  • 2015 774 million gallons
  • 2016 813 million gallons
August
  • 2013 838 million gallons
  • 2015 741 million gallons
  • 2016 718 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

San Gabriel Valley Water Company water use decreased by 25.57 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 16 percent reduction.
181.414
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
135.030
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 San Gabriel Valley Water Company to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received20 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received19 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received33 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received21 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued14 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued21 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued8 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days 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

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth

Plant California Friendly plants

Wash only full loads

Water before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.

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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