Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Soquel Creek Water District

Water consumption in the Soquel Creek Water District increased 3.73 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 28.92 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 97 million gallons
  • August 2014 72 million gallons
  • August 2015 66 million gallons
  • August 2016 69 million gallons
  • August 2017 72 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 76.0% of water consumption in the Soquel Creek Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 3.47 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
41.80
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
40.40
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 84 million gallons
  • 2015 76 million gallons
  • 2016 64 million gallons
February
  • 2013 81 million gallons
  • 2015 68 million gallons
  • 2016 62 million gallons
March
  • 2013 100 million gallons
  • 2015 84 million gallons
  • 2016 68 million gallons
April
  • 2013 112 million gallons
  • 2015 82 million gallons
  • 2016 76 million gallons
May
  • 2013 138 million gallons
  • 2015 87 million gallons
  • 2016 92 million gallons
June
  • 2013 139 million gallons
  • 2015 91 million gallons
  • 2016 102 million gallons
July
  • 2013 149 million gallons
  • 2015 100 million gallons
  • 2016 111 million gallons
August
  • 2013 145 million gallons
  • 2015 100 million gallons
  • 2016 102 million gallons
September
  • 2013 131 million gallons
  • 2015 94 million gallons
  • 2016 98 million gallons
October
  • 2013 121 million gallons
  • 2015 90 million gallons
  • 2016 86 million gallons
November
  • 2013 100 million gallons
  • 2015 71 million gallons
  • 2016 71 million gallons
August
  • 2013 97 million gallons
  • 2015 66 million gallons
  • 2016 69 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Soquel Creek Water District water use decreased by 30.20 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 8 percent reduction.
19.561
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
13.654
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 Soquel Creek 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 Received2 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued17 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued12 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued13 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued11 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued13 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued15 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued8 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued8 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions7 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued17 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued12 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received13 Follow-up Actions24 Warnings Issued22 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued13 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received10 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions10 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received5 Follow-up Actions23 Warnings Issued23 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received12 Follow-up Actions21 Warnings Issued21 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued19 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received35 Follow-up Actions35 Warnings Issued25 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received35 Follow-up Actions35 Warnings Issued19 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received44 Follow-up Actions44 Warnings Issued100 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received44 Follow-up Actions44 Warnings Issued13 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received45 Follow-up Actions45 Warnings Issued16 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received58 Follow-up Actions58 Warnings Issued22 Penalties Assessed1
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued15 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received19 Follow-up Actions31 Warnings Issued31 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

Wash cars with a bucket and sponge

Take shorter showers

Wash only full loads

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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