Rhode Island 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 New England Water Science Center (WSC) collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island.
- 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.
Summary of 2015 Compilation for Rhode Island
Core numbers are presented on a separate page with the link provided below.
Water Issues
Rhode Island is fortunate to have abundant freshwater resources.
Annual precipitation averages in Rhode Island place the State in the top half of the wettest States in the United States.
However, as populations have grown (5.1 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
Massachusetts Water Use
New Hampshire 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 Rhode Island water-use web page.
Below are selected publications associated with the Water Use in Rhode Island.
For regional and national publications go to the Publications tab of the New England Water Use webpage.
Estimated water use and availability in the Pawtuxet and Quinebaug River basins, Rhode Island, 1995-99
Estimated water use and availability in the East Narragansett Bay study area, Rhode Island, 1995-99
Water use and availability in the West Narragansett Bay area, coastal Rhode Island, 1995-99
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 water use and availability in the Pawcatuck Basin, southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut, 1995-99
Estimated withdrawals and use of freshwater in Rhode Island, 1990
Below are links to access the 2015 Water Use in New England geonarrative and also water use data for Rhode Island 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.
- 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 New England Water Science Center (WSC) collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island.
- 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.
Summary of 2015 Compilation for Rhode Island
Core numbers are presented on a separate page with the link provided below.
Water Issues
Rhode Island is fortunate to have abundant freshwater resources.
Annual precipitation averages in Rhode Island place the State in the top half of the wettest States in the United States.
However, as populations have grown (5.1 percent between 1990 and 2015), freshwater resources have come under significant stress in many areas, particularly during periods of drought.
- 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.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...Connecticut 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. - The New England Water Science Center (WSC) collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in Connecticut from different sources (groundwater and surface water...Maine 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 Maine is presented on this web page. - The New England Water Science Center (WSC) collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in Maine from...Massachusetts 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. - The New England Water Science Center (WSC) collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in Massachusetts from different sources (groundwater and surface...New Hampshire 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 New England Water Science Center (WSC) collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in New Hampshire from different sources (groundwater and surface water in both fresh and saline settings) as a part of the national effort...Vermont 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. - The New England Water Science Center (WSC) collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in Vermont from different sources (groundwater and surface water in... - 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 Rhode Island water-use web page.
- Publications
Below are selected publications associated with the Water Use in Rhode Island.
For regional and national publications go to the Publications tab of the New England Water Use webpage.
Estimated water use and availability in the Pawtuxet and Quinebaug River basins, Rhode Island, 1995-99
Water availability became a concern in Rhode Island during a drought in 1999, and an investigation was needed to assess demands on the hydrologic system from withdrawals during periods of little to no precipitation. The low water levels during the drought prompted the U.S. Geological Survey and the Rhode Island Water Resources Board to begin a series of studies on water use and availability in eacAuthorsEmily C. Wild, Mark T. NimiroskiEstimated water use and availability in the East Narragansett Bay study area, Rhode Island, 1995-99
Water availability became a concern in Rhode Island during a drought in 1999, and further investigation was needed to assess the current demands on the hydrologic system from withdrawals during periods of little to no precipitation. The low ground-water levels and streamflows measured in Rhode Island prompted initiation of a series of studies on water use and availability in each major drainage arAuthorsEmily C. WildWater use and availability in the West Narragansett Bay area, coastal Rhode Island, 1995-99
During the 1999 drought in Rhode Island, belowaverage precipitation caused a drop in ground-water levels and streamflow was below long-term averages. The low water levels prompted the U. S. Geological Survey and the Rhode Island Water Resources Board to conduct a series of cooperative water-use studies. The purpose of these studies is to collect and analyze water-use and water-availability data inAuthorsMark T. Nimiroski, Emily C. WildWater 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 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 withdrawals and use of freshwater in Rhode Island, 1990
No abstract available.AuthorsP. A. Craft, M.A. Horn, Laura Medalie - Web Tools
Below are links to access the 2015 Water Use in New England geonarrative and also water use data for Rhode Island 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.
- FAQ
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...
- Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.