INDICATOR

 STATUS

Sustainable water consumption means using water no more quickly than the rate at which it is restored. As a city, Santa Monica could be completely sustainable if it were able to supply all of its water needs from local well sources indefinitely. Reducing water consumption per capita and increasing the percentage of water that comes from local sources are two important steps toward sustainability.

In order to measure progress towards the stated goals, this indicator looks at total citywide water use, the percent of water that is local versus the percent imported from distant watersheds in California and the Western United States. Finally, it examines the amount of water that is potable versus non-potable.

The target for consumption is to reduce overall water use by 20% of 2000 levels by 2010. In 2000, water use was 13.4 million gallons per day (MGD); a twenty percent reduction of that usage is 10.7 MGD.  The city aims to increase the amount of locally obtained potable water to its 1995 high point of 70% of total water use by the year 2010. The city is also working to maximize non-potable water use when appropriate.

Citywide Water Consumption
There was a significant drop in water use between 1990 and 1991, but water use since 2000 has hovered around the 13.4 MGD mark, where it was in 2006.  Clearly, meeting the Indicator goal to reduce overall water use by to 20% of the 2000 baseline (to 10.7 mm/day) by 2010 continues to be difficult, given continued development and increasing daytime population.

Local vs. Imported Water
The percentage of local vs. imported water dropped between 2005 and 2006 from 13% to 12% of total water supply.  This followed an encouraging jump from 5% to 13% between 2004 and 2005.  This percentage change results not only from a slight decrease in local water supply, but in an overall increase in water usage in the city.

Potable Water Use
Santa Monica Urban Runoff & Recycling Facility (SMURRF) produces non-potable water for use in landscape irrigation, at city parks and cemeteries, toilet flushing and in some city fountains. Sales of recycled water from the SMURRF in 2006 increased 35% over 2005, to a total of 32 million gallons per year. That represents nearly 1% of water use. For residents and businesses to take further advantage of this reclaimed water requires more infrastructure than is currently in place, but it is a hopeful sign that this number continues to grow.

● The average American uses 168 gallons of water per day.  The average person in Santa Monica uses 144 gallons of water per day.
● The City of Santa Monica operates its own water utility.  Of the 13.4 million gallons used per day, approximately 27% is consumed by single-family units, 44% by multi-family units, and 28% by commercial users.

Citywide Water Use
The city is taking a leadership role in encouraging innovative strategies to meet its 20% consumption reduction goal. This year it has added to its list of water efficiency programs the "20 Gallon Challenge", which encourages individuals to save 20 gallons of water each day by implementing water saving strategies for both indoor and outdoor water use. The other ongoing programs are the Free Home Water Assessments, Water Efficient Clothes Washer Rebate Program, the High Efficiency Toilet Rebate Program, and the Gardens & Landscaping Programs.