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 New England Water Science Center (WSC) collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in Massachusetts from different sources (groundwater and surface water in both fresh and saline settings) as a part of the national effort.
- Our WSC collected site-specific and aggregated water-use information for each county in Massachusetts.
- The New England WSC complied and estimated water use at the county level for eight water-use categories: thermoelectric, public supply, domestic, livestock, mining, industrial, irrigation, aquaculture.
Water use estimates for 2000 through 2020 are now available for the three largest categories of use in the United States: self-supplied thermoelectric power generation, self-supplied irrigation, and public supply. Five additional categories of use (self-supplied industrial, domestic, mining, livestock, and aquaculture) will be available in 2025.
Summary of 2015 Compilation for Massachusetts
Core numbers are presented on a separate page with the link provided below.
Water Issues
Massachusetts is fortunate to have abundant freshwater resources.
Annual precipitation averages in Massachusetts place the State in the top half of the wettest States in the United States.
However, as populations have grown (12.9 percent between 1990 and 2015), freshwater resources have come under significant stress in many areas, particularly during periods of drought.
Below are links to the USGS national water-use website and water-use web pages for the New England states.
Water Use in the United States
New England Water Use
Connecticut Water Use
Maine Water Use
New Hampshire Water Use
Rhode Island Water Use
Vermont Water Use
Estimated Use of Water in the United States County-Level Data for 2015
Below are the charts and animations displayed on the Massachusetts water-use web page.
Below are selected publications associated with the Water Use in Massachusetts.
For regional and national publications go to the Publications tab of the New England Water Use webpage.
User guide for the Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator (MA SYE—version 2.0) computer program
Methods used to estimate daily streamflow and water availability in the Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator version 2.0
Estimated water use and availability in the lower Blackstone River basin, northern Rhode Island and south-central Massachusetts, 1995-99
Estimated withdrawals and use of freshwater in Massachusetts, 1990
Below are links to access the 2015 Water Use in New England geonarrative and also water use data for Massachusetts on the National Water Information System (NWIS) web interface.
New England Water Use in 2015
The New England Water Science Center has collected, reviewed, and aggregated water-withdrawal data in each of the six States every 5 years since 1950. The summary of the water-use compilation completed in 2015 is presented in this geonarrative.
Below are FAQ related to water use.
Is saline water used for anything?
In the U.S., about 13 percent of all water used is saline water . But saline water can only be used for certain purposes. The main use is for thermoelectric power-plant cooling. About 5 percent of water used for industrial purposes is saline, and about 53 percent of all water used for mining purposes is saline. Saline water can be desalinated for use as drinking water by putting it through a...
How much natural water is there?
Earth is estimated to hold about 1,386,000,000 cubic kilometers of water. The breakdown of where all that water resides is estimated as follows: Oceans (saline) 1,338,000,000 cubic kilometers Ice caps and glaciers (fresh) 24,064,000 cubic kilometers Groundwater (fresh and saline) 23,400,000 cubic kilometers Streams, lakes, swamps (fresh) 104,590 cubic kilometers Lakes (saline) 85,400 cubic...
How much water is used by people in the United States?
Since 1950, the USGS has collected and analyzed water-use data for the United States and its Territories . That data is revised every 5 years. As of 2015, the United States uses 322 billion gallons of water per day (Bgal/day). The three largest water-use categories were irrigation (118 Bgal/day), thermoelectric power (133 Bgal/day), and public supply (39 Bgal/day), cumulatively accounting for 90...
What is the Earth's "water cycle?"
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes where water is stored on Earth and how it moves. Water is stored in the atmosphere, on the land surface, and below the ground. It can be a liquid, a solid, or a gas. Liquid water can be fresh or saline (salty). Water moves between the places it is stored. It moves at large scales (through watersheds, the atmosphere, and below the Earth...
Below are partners associated with this project.
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 New England Water Science Center (WSC) collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in Massachusetts from different sources (groundwater and surface water in both fresh and saline settings) as a part of the national effort.
- Our WSC collected site-specific and aggregated water-use information for each county in Massachusetts.
- The New England WSC complied and estimated water use at the county level for eight water-use categories: thermoelectric, public supply, domestic, livestock, mining, industrial, irrigation, aquaculture.
Water use estimates for 2000 through 2020 are now available for the three largest categories of use in the United States: self-supplied thermoelectric power generation, self-supplied irrigation, and public supply. Five additional categories of use (self-supplied industrial, domestic, mining, livestock, and aquaculture) will be available in 2025.
Summary of 2015 Compilation for Massachusetts
Core numbers are presented on a separate page with the link provided below.
Water Issues
Massachusetts is fortunate to have abundant freshwater resources.
Annual precipitation averages in Massachusetts place the State in the top half of the wettest States in the United States.
However, as populations have grown (12.9 percent between 1990 and 2015), freshwater resources have come under significant stress in many areas, particularly during periods of drought.
Below are links to the USGS national water-use website and water-use web pages for the New England states.
Water Use in the United States
New England Water Use
Connecticut Water Use
Maine Water Use
New Hampshire Water Use
Rhode Island Water Use
Vermont Water Use
Estimated Use of Water in the United States County-Level Data for 2015
Below are the charts and animations displayed on the Massachusetts water-use web page.
Below are selected publications associated with the Water Use in Massachusetts.
For regional and national publications go to the Publications tab of the New England Water Use webpage.
User guide for the Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator (MA SYE—version 2.0) computer program
Methods used to estimate daily streamflow and water availability in the Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator version 2.0
Estimated water use and availability in the lower Blackstone River basin, northern Rhode Island and south-central Massachusetts, 1995-99
Estimated withdrawals and use of freshwater in Massachusetts, 1990
Below are links to access the 2015 Water Use in New England geonarrative and also water use data for Massachusetts on the National Water Information System (NWIS) web interface.
New England Water Use in 2015
The New England Water Science Center has collected, reviewed, and aggregated water-withdrawal data in each of the six States every 5 years since 1950. The summary of the water-use compilation completed in 2015 is presented in this geonarrative.
Below are FAQ related to water use.
Is saline water used for anything?
In the U.S., about 13 percent of all water used is saline water . But saline water can only be used for certain purposes. The main use is for thermoelectric power-plant cooling. About 5 percent of water used for industrial purposes is saline, and about 53 percent of all water used for mining purposes is saline. Saline water can be desalinated for use as drinking water by putting it through a...
How much natural water is there?
Earth is estimated to hold about 1,386,000,000 cubic kilometers of water. The breakdown of where all that water resides is estimated as follows: Oceans (saline) 1,338,000,000 cubic kilometers Ice caps and glaciers (fresh) 24,064,000 cubic kilometers Groundwater (fresh and saline) 23,400,000 cubic kilometers Streams, lakes, swamps (fresh) 104,590 cubic kilometers Lakes (saline) 85,400 cubic...
How much water is used by people in the United States?
Since 1950, the USGS has collected and analyzed water-use data for the United States and its Territories . That data is revised every 5 years. As of 2015, the United States uses 322 billion gallons of water per day (Bgal/day). The three largest water-use categories were irrigation (118 Bgal/day), thermoelectric power (133 Bgal/day), and public supply (39 Bgal/day), cumulatively accounting for 90...
What is the Earth's "water cycle?"
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes where water is stored on Earth and how it moves. Water is stored in the atmosphere, on the land surface, and below the ground. It can be a liquid, a solid, or a gas. Liquid water can be fresh or saline (salty). Water moves between the places it is stored. It moves at large scales (through watersheds, the atmosphere, and below the Earth...
Below are partners associated with this project.