Climate Plays Large Role In How Much Water California Cities Consume
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — California’s climate plays a big part in how much towns or cities consume. The hot, dry valley tends to use more than the cooler coast.
In Sacramento, the average is 279 gallons per person per day. Roseville, Carmichael and West Sacramento use just over 300 gallons a day—triple the 98 gallons used in San Francisco.
Of course the amount of landscaping has a big impact on water use.
In Granite Bay, where lot sizes tend to be bigger, they use 505 gallons per capita—one of the highest in the state.
Stockton and Vacaville are some of the lowest in the area at 195 and 189 gallons respectively.
But just south in Modesto, it jumps back up to 285 gallons per person. And in Tracy, it’s 227.
In Southern California, where they’ve been dealing with water shortages for years, water usage is fairly low. Los Angeles uses 152 gallons per person.
In Palm Springs, they use 736 gallons per person—a high number because of the big lawns, pools and golf courses, and the tourists are not counted.
But at 94,111 gallons a day, the state’s biggest user is the city of Vernon. It has a population of only 112, but more than 18,000 businesses.
For those heavy hitters, conservation is key. At least 20 counties in Northern California are under mandatory water restrictions.