Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Tuolumne Utilities District

Water consumption in the Tuolumne Utilities District increased 6.58 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 21.04 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 111 million gallons
  • August 2014 83 million gallons
  • August 2015 79 million gallons
  • August 2016 84 million gallons
  • August 2017 83 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 69.0% of water consumption in the Tuolumne Utilities District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 29.32 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
61.00
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
86.30
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 94 million gallons
  • 2015 80 million gallons
  • 2016 81 million gallons
February
  • 2013 80 million gallons
  • 2015 75 million gallons
  • 2016 71 million gallons
March
  • 2013 93 million gallons
  • 2015 87 million gallons
  • 2016 82 million gallons
April
  • 2013 113 million gallons
  • 2015 93 million gallons
  • 2016 85 million gallons
May
  • 2013 166 million gallons
  • 2015 94 million gallons
  • 2016 109 million gallons
June
  • 2013 200 million gallons
  • 2015 118 million gallons
  • 2016 157 million gallons
July
  • 2013 236 million gallons
  • 2015 137 million gallons
  • 2016 176 million gallons
August
  • 2013 220 million gallons
  • 2015 141 million gallons
  • 2016 179 million gallons
September
  • 2013 187 million gallons
  • 2015 128 million gallons
  • 2016 149 million gallons
October
  • 2013 149 million gallons
  • 2015 111 million gallons
  • 2016 111 million gallons
November
  • 2013 112 million gallons
  • 2015 80 million gallons
  • 2016 85 million gallons
August
  • 2013 107 million gallons
  • 2015 79 million gallons
  • 2016 84 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Tuolumne Utilities District water use decreased by 30.44 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 24 percent reduction.
24.587
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
17.103
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 Tuolumne Utilities District to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 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 Days7 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 Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received157 Follow-up Actions160 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days7 Complaints Received146 Follow-up Actions150 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received106 Follow-up Actions109 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received67 Follow-up Actions68 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received71 Follow-up Actions71 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received137 Follow-up Actions139 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received137 Follow-up Actions139 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received98 Follow-up Actions98 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received87 Follow-up Actions91 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received34 Follow-up Actions193 Warnings Issued34 Penalties Assessed1
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received49 Follow-up Actions270 Warnings Issued49 Penalties Assessed2
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received49 Follow-up Actions270 Warnings Issued49 Penalties Assessed2
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received40 Follow-up Actions260 Warnings Issued40 Penalties Assessed1
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received34 Follow-up Actions36 Warnings Issued36 Penalties Assessed2
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued 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

Wash cars with a bucket and sponge

Plant California Friendly plants

Repair broken sprinklers

Take shorter showers

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.

comments powered by Disqus