New England Water Use Completed
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 during periods when there is increased competition for water (drought).
Approach
- USGS water-use compilations are one of the few sources of information about national and regional trends in water withdrawals.
- The New England Water Science Center (WSC) collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in New England 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 New England.
- 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 Issues
New England States are fortunate to have abundant freshwater resources.
Annual precipitation averages place the New England States in the top half of the wettest States in the United States.
However, as populations have grown (11.4 percent between 1990 and 2015), freshwater resources have come under significant stress in many areas, particularly during periods of drought.
Stresses have been partially offset by declining rates of water withdrawals between 1990 and 2015. The steepest declines occurred in the most populous States — Massachusetts and Connecticut.
New England States Water-Use Websites
Because public information searches most frequently are for individual States, the New England WSC has prepared a web page on water use for each state:
New England Water Use, 2015 story
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
Estimated Use of Water in the United States County-Level Data for 2015
Below are the charts and animations displayed on the New England water-use web pages.
Below are selected publications associated with water use in the United States and New England.
Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015
Water use and availability in the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck River basins, north-central Rhode Island
Estimated water use and availability in the South Coastal Drainage Basin, southern Rhode Island, 1995-99
Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2000
Estimated water use and availability in the Pawcatuck Basin, southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut, 1995-99
Estimated water use and availability in the lower Blackstone River basin, northern Rhode Island and south-central Massachusetts, 1995-99
User's Manual for the New England Water-Use Data System (NEWUDS)
Data model and relational database design for the New England Water-Use Data System (NEWUDS)
Method for estimating water use and interbasin transfers of freshwater and wastewater in an urbanized basin
Estimated use of water in the United States in 1995
Wastewater collection and return flow in New England, 1990
Estimated use of water in the United States in 1990
Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 1985
Below are links to access the 2015 Water Use in New England geonarrative and also water use data for the New England states 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 news stories associated with this project.
Below are FAQ related to water use.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
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 during periods when there is increased competition for water (drought).
Approach
- USGS water-use compilations are one of the few sources of information about national and regional trends in water withdrawals.
- The New England Water Science Center (WSC) collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in New England 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 New England.
- 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 Issues
New England States are fortunate to have abundant freshwater resources.
Annual precipitation averages place the New England States in the top half of the wettest States in the United States.
However, as populations have grown (11.4 percent between 1990 and 2015), freshwater resources have come under significant stress in many areas, particularly during periods of drought.
Stresses have been partially offset by declining rates of water withdrawals between 1990 and 2015. The steepest declines occurred in the most populous States — Massachusetts and Connecticut.
New England States Water-Use Websites
Because public information searches most frequently are for individual States, the New England WSC has prepared a web page on water use for each state:
New England Water Use, 2015 story
- Science
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
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. - Data
Estimated Use of Water in the United States County-Level Data for 2015
This dataset contains water-use estimates for 2015 that are aggregated to the county level in the United States. The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS's) National Water Use Science Project is responsible for compiling and disseminating the Nation's water-use data. Working in cooperation with local, State, and Federal agencies, the USGS has published an estimate of water use in the United States every - Multimedia
Below are the charts and animations displayed on the New England water-use web pages.
- Publications
Below are selected publications associated with water use in the United States and New England.
Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015
Water use in the United States in 2015 was estimated to be about 322 billion gallons per day (Bgal/d), which was 9 percent less than in 2010. The 2015 estimates put total withdrawals at the lowest level since before 1970, following the same overall trend of decreasing total withdrawals observed from 2005 to 2010. Freshwater withdrawals were 281 Bgal/d, or 87 percent of total withdrawals, and salinAuthorsCheryl A. Dieter, Molly A. Maupin, Rodney R. Caldwell, Melissa A. Harris, Tamara I. Ivahnenko, John K. Lovelace, Nancy L. Barber, Kristin S. LinseyFilter Total Items: 27Water use and availability in the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck River basins, north-central Rhode Island
The Woonasquatucket River Basin includes 51.0 square miles, and the Moshassuck River Basin includes 23.8 square miles in north-central Rhode Island. The study area comprises these two basins. The two basins border each other with the Moshassuck River Basin to the northeast of the Woonasquatucket River Basin. Seven towns are in the Woonasquatucket River Basin, and six towns are in the Moshassuck RiAuthorsMark T. Nimiroski, Emily C. WildEstimated water use and availability in the South Coastal Drainage Basin, southern Rhode Island, 1995-99
The South Coastal Drainage Basin includes approximately 59.14 square miles in southern Rhode Island. The basin was divided into three subbasins to assess the water use and availability: the Saugatucket, Point Judith Pond, and the Southwestern Coastal Drainage subbasins. Because there is limited information on the ground-water system in this basin, the water use and availability evaluations for theAuthorsEmily C. Wild, Mark T. NimiroskiEstimated Use of Water in the United States in 2000
Estimates of water use in the United States indicate that about 408 billion gallons per day (one thousand million gallons per day, abbreviated Bgal/d) were withdrawn for all uses during 2000. This total has varied less than 3 percent since 1985 as withdrawals have stabilized for the two largest uses?thermoelectric power and irrigation. Fresh ground-water withdrawals (83.3 Bgal/d) during 2000 wereAuthorsSusan S. Hutson, Nancy L. Barber, Joan F. Kenny, Kristin S. Linsey, Deborah S. Lumia, Molly A. MaupinEstimated water use and availability in the Pawcatuck Basin, southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut, 1995-99
In 1988, the Pawcatuck Basin (302.4 square miles) in southern Rhode Island (245.3 square miles) and southeastern Connecticut (57.12 square miles) was defined as a sole-source aquifer for 14 towns in southern Rhode Island and 4 towns in southeastern Connecticut. To determine water use and availability, the six subbasins in the Pawcatuck Basin were delineated on the basis of the surface- and ground-AuthorsEmily C. Wild, Mark T. NimiroskiEstimated water use and availability in the lower Blackstone River basin, northern Rhode Island and south-central Massachusetts, 1995-99
The Blackstone River basin includes approximately 475 square miles in northern Rhode Island and south-central Massachusetts. The study area (198 square miles) comprises six subbasins of the lower Blackstone River basin. The estimated population for the study period 1995?99 was 149,651 persons. Water-use data including withdrawals, use, and return flows for the study area were collected. WithdrawalAuthorsLora K. BarolwUser's Manual for the New England Water-Use Data System (NEWUDS)
Water is used in a variety of ways that need to be understood for effective management of water resources. Water-use activities need to be categorized and included in a database management system to understand current water uses and to provide information to water-resource management policy decisionmakers. The New England Water-Use Data System (NEWUDS) is a complex database developed to store wAuthorsMarilee A. HornData model and relational database design for the New England Water-Use Data System (NEWUDS)
The New England Water-Use Data System (NEWUDS) is a database for the storage and retrieval of water-use data. NEWUDS can handle data covering many facets of water use, including (1) tracking various types of water-use activities (withdrawals, returns, transfers, distributions, consumptive-use, wastewater collection, and treatment); (2) the description, classification and location of places and orgAuthorsSteven TesslerMethod for estimating water use and interbasin transfers of freshwater and wastewater in an urbanized basin
Techniques for management of drainage basins that use water budgets to balance available water resources with actual or anticipated water use require accurate and precise estimates of basin withdrawals, interbasin transfers of freshwater, unaccounted-for use, water use, consumptive use, inflow and infiltration, basin return flow, and interbasin transfers of wastewater. Frequently, interbasin transAuthorsM.A. HornEstimated use of water in the United States in 1995
The purpose of this report is to present consistent and current water-use estimates by state and water-resources region for the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. Estimates of water withdrawn from surface- and ground-water sources, estimates of consumptive use, and estimates of instream use and wastewater releases during 1995 are presented in this reAuthorsWayne B. Solley, Robert R. Pierce, Howard A. PerlmanWastewater collection and return flow in New England, 1990
No abstract available.AuthorsLaura MedalieEstimated use of water in the United States in 1990
Water withdrawals in the United States during 1990 were estimated to average 408,000 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of freshwater and saline water for offstream uses--2 percent more than the 1985 estimate. Total freshwater withdrawals were an estimated 339,000 Mgal/d during 1990, about the same as during 1985. Average per-capita use for all offstream uses was 1,620 gallons per day (gal/d) of freAuthorsWayne B. Solley, Robert R. Pierce, Howard A. PerlmanEstimated Use of Water in the United States in 1985
Water withdrawals in the United States during 1985 were estimated to average 399,000 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of freshwater and saline water for offstream uses--10 percent less than the 1980 estimate. Average per-capita use for all offstream uses was 1,650 gallons per day (gal/d) of freshwater and saline water combined and 1,400 gal/d of freshwater alone. Offstream water-use categoriesAuthorsWayne B. Solley, Charles F. Merk, Robert R. Pierce - Web Tools
Below are links to access the 2015 Water Use in New England geonarrative and also water use data for the New England states 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.
- News
Below are news stories associated with this project.
- FAQ
Below are FAQ related to water use.
- Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.