New England water use in 2015.
The USGS 2015 water-use compilation estimated that total water withdrawals in New England were 6,413 million gallons of water per day (Mgal/day).
- Surface water withdrawals totaled 5,671 Mgal/d (88 % of total)
- Groundwater withdrawals totaled 742 Mgal/d (12 % of total)
- Freshwater withdrawals were 2,375 Mgal/d (37 % of total)
- Saline water withdrawals were 4,038 Mgal/d (63 % of total)
Water Withdrawals by State
Estimates by State and percentages of total New England water withdrawals:
- Connecticut - 3,128 Mgal/day (49%)
- Massachusetts - 1,406 Mgal/day (22%)
- New Hampshire - 935 Mgal/day (15%)
- Maine - 509 Mgal/day (8%)
- Rhode Island - 344 Mgal/day (5%)
- Vermont - 91 Mgal/day (1%)
Water Withdrawals by Water Use Category
Estimates by category and percentages of total New England water withdrawals:
- Thermoelectric Power - 4,209 Mgal/day (65.6%)
- Public Supply - 1,209 Mgal/day (18.9%)
- Self-Supplied Industrial - 501 Mgal/day (7.8%)
- Irrigation - 181 Mgal/day (2.8%)
- Self-Supplied Domestic - 145 Mgal/day (2.3%)
- Aquaculture - 123 Mgal/day (1.9%)
- Mining - 34 Mgal/day (0.5%)
- Livestock - 11 Mgal/day (0.2%)
Population on Public vs Self-Supplied Water
Eighty percent of the New England population relies on publicly supplied water and 20% uses self-supplied water.
Related Content
New England Water Use
Background The U.S. Geological Survey has compiled the Nation's water-use data at the county, State, and national levels every 5 years between 1950 and 2015. The most recent estimated water-use compilation was completed in 2015. A summary for New England is presented on this web page. Issue Comprehensive water-use data analysis is needed to quantify the stress on existing supplies, particularly...
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- Science
New England Water Use
Background The U.S. Geological Survey has compiled the Nation's water-use data at the county, State, and national levels every 5 years between 1950 and 2015. The most recent estimated water-use compilation was completed in 2015. A summary for New England is presented on this web page. Issue Comprehensive water-use data analysis is needed to quantify the stress on existing supplies, particularly...