Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Valley County Water District

Water consumption in the Valley County Water District increased 0.28 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 16.30 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 178 million gallons
  • August 2014 144 million gallons
  • August 2015 148 million gallons
  • August 2016 149 million gallons
  • August 2017 144 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 68.0% of water consumption in the Valley County Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 22.38 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
58.50
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
47.80
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 163 million gallons
  • 2015 148 million gallons
  • 2016 134 million gallons
February
  • 2013 156 million gallons
  • 2015 151 million gallons
  • 2016 137 million gallons
March
  • 2013 188 million gallons
  • 2015 181 million gallons
  • 2016 147 million gallons
April
  • 2013 214 million gallons
  • 2015 183 million gallons
  • 2016 162 million gallons
May
  • 2013 240 million gallons
  • 2015 175 million gallons
  • 2016 177 million gallons
June
  • 2013 259 million gallons
  • 2015 200 million gallons
  • 2016 202 million gallons
July
  • 2013 275 million gallons
  • 2015 202 million gallons
  • 2016 220 million gallons
August
  • 2013 283 million gallons
  • 2015 210 million gallons
  • 2016 231 million gallons
September
  • 2013 264 million gallons
  • 2015 194 million gallons
  • 2016 213 million gallons
October
  • 2013 232 million gallons
  • 2015 184 million gallons
  • 2016 199 million gallons
November
  • 2013 195 million gallons
  • 2015 162 million gallons
  • 2016 177 million gallons
August
  • 2013 178 million gallons
  • 2015 148 million gallons
  • 2016 149 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Valley County Water District water use decreased by 22.24 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — achieving a 16 percent reduction.
37.050
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
28.809
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 Valley County 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 Received18 Follow-up Actions18 Warnings Issued18 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received34 Follow-up Actions34 Warnings Issued34 Penalties Assessed1
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued28 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received30 Follow-up Actions30 Warnings Issued30 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued28 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued28 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received44 Follow-up Actions44 Warnings Issued44 Penalties Assessed2
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued28 Penalties Assessed2
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received17 Follow-up Actions17 Warnings Issued17 Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received30 Follow-up Actions30 Warnings Issued30 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received15 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued15 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received18 Follow-up Actions18 Warnings Issued18 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received34 Follow-up Actions34 Warnings Issued34 Penalties Assessed1
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received28 Follow-up Actions28 Warnings Issued28 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received30 Follow-up Actions30 Warnings Issued30 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received29 Follow-up Actions29 Warnings Issued45 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received32 Follow-up Actions32 Warnings Issued32 Penalties Assessed1
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received24 Follow-up Actions24 Warnings Issued24 Penalties Assessed6
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received45 Follow-up Actions45 Warnings Issued45 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received26 Follow-up Actions26 Warnings Issued26 Penalties Assessed4
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received24 Follow-up Actions24 Warnings Issued24 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received32 Follow-up Actions32 Warnings Issued32 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received16 Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued20 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received8 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued8 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received21 Follow-up Actions21 Warnings Issued21 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions76 Warnings Issued76 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received48 Follow-up Actions48 Warnings Issued48 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions77 Warnings Issued77 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received64 Follow-up Actions64 Warnings Issued64 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received39 Follow-up Actions39 Warnings Issued39 Penalties Assessed1
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received31 Follow-up Actions31 Warnings Issued31 Penalties Assessed8
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received27 Follow-up Actions27 Warnings Issued17 Penalties Assessed6
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2015 Watering Days7 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

Capture tap water

Repair leaks

Repair broken sprinklers

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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