Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Santa Fe Irrigation District

Water consumption in the Santa Fe Irrigation District increased 4.97 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 28.76 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 223 million gallons
  • August 2014 126 million gallons
  • August 2015 145 million gallons
  • August 2016 152 million gallons
  • August 2017 126 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 84.0% of water consumption in the Santa Fe Irrigation District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 2.13 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
210.50
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
206.10
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 170 million gallons
  • 2015 165 million gallons
  • 2016 118 million gallons
February
  • 2013 169 million gallons
  • 2015 223 million gallons
  • 2016 164 million gallons
March
  • 2013 258 million gallons
  • 2015 268 million gallons
  • 2016 176 million gallons
April
  • 2013 277 million gallons
  • 2015 302 million gallons
  • 2016 211 million gallons
May
  • 2013 378 million gallons
  • 2015 219 million gallons
  • 2016 240 million gallons
June
  • 2013 420 million gallons
  • 2015 263 million gallons
  • 2016 301 million gallons
July
  • 2013 437 million gallons
  • 2015 229 million gallons
  • 2016 368 million gallons
August
  • 2013 442 million gallons
  • 2015 271 million gallons
  • 2016 367 million gallons
September
  • 2013 395 million gallons
  • 2015 245 million gallons
  • 2016 321 million gallons
October
  • 2013 311 million gallons
  • 2015 222 million gallons
  • 2016 307 million gallons
November
  • 2013 220 million gallons
  • 2015 191 million gallons
  • 2016 229 million gallons
August
  • 2013 213 million gallons
  • 2015 145 million gallons
  • 2016 152 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Santa Fe Irrigation District water use decreased by 32.01 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — but the agency failed to meet a 36 percent reduction.
50.954
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
34.646
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 Santa Fe Irrigation District to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued10 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued8 Penalties Assessed2
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued15 Penalties Assessed2
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions20 Warnings Issued20 Penalties Assessed4
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions34 Warnings Issued34 Penalties Assessed9
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received11 Follow-up Actions50 Warnings Issued50 Penalties Assessed6
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received35 Follow-up Actions49 Warnings Issued49 Penalties Assessed5
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received33 Follow-up Actions78 Warnings Issued78 Penalties Assessed9
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received31 Follow-up Actions51 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions99 Warnings Issued99 Penalties Assessed4
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received20 Follow-up Actions20 Warnings Issued96 Penalties Assessed2
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received36 Follow-up Actions33 Warnings Issued33 Penalties Assessed2
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received109 Follow-up Actions54 Warnings Issued54 Penalties Assessed1
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received26 Follow-up Actions26 Warnings Issued26 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

Capture tap water

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

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

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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