Residential per capita water use in January, compared to state average of 73 gallons per day
Central Valley
Unlike in most other parts of the state, some residential customers of the Central Valley don’t have meters that tell them how much water they are using. A handful of towns also charge a flat fee for unlimited water use.
San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco residents are among the state’s lowest users, partly because of aggressive conservation efforts, but also because the city has a cool climate and multifamily housing units with minimal landscaping.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz residents used an average of 46 gallons a day in January, among the lowest rates in the state. The city last year put its residents on rations. Those who exceeded their allotment attended a water school, similar to a traffic school for a speeding ticket. Mandatory rationing was lifted in December, but it may return this summer.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles has had a water conservation ordinance since 2009. Residents are permitted to water their lawns no more than three days a week and are prohibited from watering when it rains. Water use tends to be higher in the warmer, northern parts of the city and lower in the downtown region, according to a recent study by the University of California, Los Angeles. The study found that lower-income neighborhoods consumed less water than more affluent ones.
Irvine
The Irvine Ranch Water District sets a water budget for each customer based on factors like lot size, irrigated area and the number of household members. Households using more than their limit pay a penalty.
Coachella Valley
Residents of Coachella Valley, a retirement destination, used 238 gallons per capita a day in January. The area has big lots and hot weather, factors that contribute to higher per capita use.
Santa Fe Irrigation District
Residents of this district, which includes Rancho Santa Fe and the gated community Fairbanks Ranch, used an average of 231 gallons a day in January and 644 gallons a day in July. Though watering lawns has been restricted to three days a week, the large properties here, some of which include mini orchards, can demand a lot of water.
- Winter
Jan. 2015 - Summer
July 2014
- State
average - 2 times
avg. - 3 times
avg.
Sources: California Water Resources Control Board; David Sunding, University of California, Berkeley; Pacific Institute; University of California, Los Angeles.
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How Much Water Californians Use - New York Times
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