Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the Valley Water Company

Water consumption in the Valley Water Company decreased 9.33 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 24.23 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 77 million gallons
  • August 2014 46 million gallons
  • August 2015 64 million gallons
  • August 2016 58 million gallons
  • August 2017 46 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 87.0% of water consumption in the Valley Water Company is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer decreased 8.31 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
164.30
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
179.20
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 54 million gallons
  • 2015 62 million gallons
  • 2016 47 million gallons
February
  • 2013 50 million gallons
  • 2015 68 million gallons
  • 2016 58 million gallons
March
  • 2013 80 million gallons
  • 2015 79 million gallons
  • 2016 53 million gallons
April
  • 2013 95 million gallons
  • 2015 84 million gallons
  • 2016 70 million gallons
May
  • 2013 107 million gallons
  • 2015 78 million gallons
  • 2016 86 million gallons
June
  • 2013 127 million gallons
  • 2015 89 million gallons
  • 2016 106 million gallons
July
  • 2013 141 million gallons
  • 2015 92 million gallons
  • 2016 122 million gallons
August
  • 2013 143 million gallons
  • 2015 103 million gallons
  • 2016 126 million gallons
September
  • 2013 140 million gallons
  • 2015 91 million gallons
  • 2016 114 million gallons
October
  • 2013 118 million gallons
  • 2015 82 million gallons
  • 2016 101 million gallons
November
  • 2013 94 million gallons
  • 2015 78 million gallons
  • 2016 80 million gallons
August
  • 2013 77 million gallons
  • 2015 64 million gallons
  • 2016 58 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

Valley Water Company water use decreased by 25.37 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.
17.120
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
12.776
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 Water Company to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Month Watering Days Complaints Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions23 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions25 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions17 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions22 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions22 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions21 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions15 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions23 Warnings Issued5 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions19 Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions21 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions16 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions8 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions5 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued10 Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions11 Warnings Issued6 Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions9 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions22 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions12 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received9 Follow-up Actions23 Warnings Issued13 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions14 Warnings Issued7 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions17 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued9 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions17 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions11 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

Use a broom to clean the driveway or sidewalk

Repair leaks

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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