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
Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 1980
Estimated use of water in the United States in 1975
Estimated use of water in the United States in 1970
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: 27Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 1980
Water use in the United States in 1980 was estimated to be an average of 450 bgd (billion gallons per day) of fresh and saline water for offstream uses- an 8-percent increase from the 1975 estimate and a 22-percent increase from the 1970 estimate. Average per capita use for all offstream uses was 2,000 gpd (gallons per day) of fresh and saline water, and 1,600 gpd of fresh water; this represents aAuthorsWayne B. Solley, Edith B. Chase, William B. MannEstimated use of water in the United States in 1975
Estimates of water use in the United States in 1975 indicate that an average of about 420 bgd (billion gallons per day) about 1,900 gallons per capita per day was withdrawn for the four principal off-channel uses which are (1) publicsupply (for domestic, commercial, and industrial uses), (2) rural (domestic and livestock), (3) irrigation, and (4) self-supplied industrial (including thermoelectricAuthorsCharles Richard Murray, E. Bodette ReevesEstimated use of water in the United States in 1970
Estimates of water use in the United States in 1970 indicate that an average of about 370 bgd (billion gallons per day)about 1,800 gallons per capita per day--was withdrawn for the four principal off-channel uses which are (1) public-supply (for domestic, commercial, and industrial uses), (2) rural (domestic and livestock), (3) irrigation, and (4) self-supplied industrial (including thermoelectricAuthorsCharles Richard Murray, E. Bodette Reeves - 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.