California Urban Water Use Objectives and Efficiency Budgets

State of California data supports the calculation of Urban Water Use Objectives for urban retail water suppliers. It includes efficiency budgets for residential indoor and outdoor water use, real water loss, and commercial landscapes, derived from statewide standards and local characteristics like population and climate. The data is used to pre-fill annual reporting forms required from suppliers starting in 2025.

Use Cases

• Analyze residential outdoor water use efficiency budgets across different climate zones to identify regional conservation opportunities.
• Model the impact of local service area characteristics like population and landscape area on the calculated Urban Water Use Objective.
• Track the inclusion and impact of variances for unique uses or bonus incentives for potable recycled water use across suppliers.

Strengths

• Data is directly tied to a state regulation (Making Conservation a California Way of Life) with mandatory annual reporting.
• Includes derived metrics for multiple water use categories (residential indoor, residential outdoor, real water loss, commercial landscapes).
• Information is sourced from authoritative state agencies including the State Water Board and Department of Water Resources.

Limitations

• The specific number of rows, columns, and data volume is unknown, limiting assessment of analytical scope.
• Data structure and available fields are not detailed, requiring exploration to understand join keys and relationships.

Provenance

Source

State of California, compiled from State Water Board and Department of Water Resources reports.

Collection Method

Gathered from reports submitted by urban retail water suppliers and derived by state agencies for regulatory purposes.

Time Range

Annual data collection starting for reports due by January 1, 2025 onward.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026, indicating recent maintenance.

Geography

State of California, focusing on urban retail water suppliers' service areas.