Environment

Is California water use increasing?

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

August monthly water use by the West Kern Water District

Water consumption in the West Kern Water District decreased 13.43 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016. Overall, consumption in August has decreased 11.45 percent over the past five years.
  • August 2013 376 million gallons
  • August 2014 331 million gallons
  • August 2015 385 million gallons
  • August 2016 333 million gallons
  • August 2017 331 million gallons

Displayed in millions of gallons

Average daily water consumption by each residential customer

About 13.0% of water consumption in the West Kern Water District is residential. The average daily gallons used by each residential customer increased 5.27 percent in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
67.90
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017
64.50
average daily gallons
used by each residential
customer for August 2017

Year-over-year water consumption

January
  • 2013 394 million gallons
  • 2015 350 million gallons
  • 2016 360 million gallons
February
  • 2013 357 million gallons
  • 2015 251 million gallons
  • 2016 296 million gallons
March
  • 2013 431 million gallons
  • 2015 294 million gallons
  • 2016 373 million gallons
April
  • 2013 491 million gallons
  • 2015 311 million gallons
  • 2016 431 million gallons
May
  • 2013 578 million gallons
  • 2015 367 million gallons
  • 2016 488 million gallons
June
  • 2013 603 million gallons
  • 2015 467 million gallons
  • 2016 546 million gallons
July
  • 2013 654 million gallons
  • 2015 512 million gallons
  • 2016 569 million gallons
August
  • 2013 649 million gallons
  • 2015 492 million gallons
  • 2016 565 million gallons
September
  • 2013 529 million gallons
  • 2015 520 million gallons
  • 2016 503 million gallons
October
  • 2013 484 million gallons
  • 2015 488 million gallons
  • 2016 467 million gallons
November
  • 2013 435 million gallons
  • 2015 391 million gallons
  • 2016 370 million gallons
August
  • 2013 376 million gallons
  • 2015 385 million gallons
  • 2016 333 million gallons

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

Progress toward mandatory water reduction*

West Kern Water District water use decreased by 12.99 percent between June 2015 and February 2016 — the nine months of the initial statewide conservation mandate — but the agency failed to meet a 28 percent reduction.
83.717
billion gallons consumed
over the same months in 2013.
72.840
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 West Kern 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 Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received 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 Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2017 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2017 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2016 Watering Days3 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJanuary 2016 Watering Days2 Complaints Received1 Follow-up Actions1 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued2 Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received2 Follow-up Actions2 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2015 Watering Days2 Complaints Received6 Follow-up Actions6 Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received4 Follow-up Actions4 Warnings Issued4 Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received3 Follow-up Actions3 Warnings Issued3 Penalties Assessed
MonthMay 2015 Watering Days3 Complaints Received14 Follow-up Actions13 Warnings Issued1 Penalties Assessed
MonthApril 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthMarch 2015 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthFebruary 2015 Watering Days7 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 Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthNovember 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthOctober 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthSeptember 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthAugust 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJuly 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed
MonthJune 2014 Watering Days7 Complaints Received Follow-up Actions Warnings Issued Penalties Assessed

Here are some ways you can help conserve water

Take shorter showers

Repair broken sprinklers

Plant California Friendly plants

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.

comments powered by Disqus