In North Carolina and across the Nation, water is a vital resource and it is used for a variety of purposes. Water use for 2010 was estimated for each county in North Carolina using data obtained from various Federal and State agencies and other sources. Estimates of water use in North Carolina were developed for the categories of public supply, domestic, industrial, mining, aquaculture, irrigation, livestock, and thermoelectric power.
The future health and welfare of the Nation's population is dependent upon a continuing supply of uncontaminated fresh water. Increasing withdrawals and increasing demands for instream flows are limiting the water available for future use. More comprehensive water-use data and analysis of water-use information are needed to quantify the stress on existing supplies and to better model and evaluate possible water-supply management options to supplement traditional water-supply approaches.
The USGS compiles water-use data from numerous sources for all parts of the country, and since 1950 has published a series of Circulars on the estimated use of water in the United States at 5-year intervals. These Circulars contain State-level estimates of the amount of public- and self-supplied water used for commercial, domestic, industrial, irrigation, livestock, mining, power generation, and other purposes. The water-use data collected and compiled in North Carolina are an integral part of the nationwide assessment of water supply and demand.
Water Use Data is available at National Water Information System (NWIS): North Carolina

Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Water Use in Georgia, 2010
Water Use in South Carolina, 2010
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Organic compounds assessed in Neuse River water used for public supply near Smithfield, North Carolina, 2002-2005
Estimated water use, by county, in North Carolina, 1995
Estimated water use, by county, in North Carolina, 1990
- Overview
In North Carolina and across the Nation, water is a vital resource and it is used for a variety of purposes. Water use for 2010 was estimated for each county in North Carolina using data obtained from various Federal and State agencies and other sources. Estimates of water use in North Carolina were developed for the categories of public supply, domestic, industrial, mining, aquaculture, irrigation, livestock, and thermoelectric power.
The future health and welfare of the Nation's population is dependent upon a continuing supply of uncontaminated fresh water. Increasing withdrawals and increasing demands for instream flows are limiting the water available for future use. More comprehensive water-use data and analysis of water-use information are needed to quantify the stress on existing supplies and to better model and evaluate possible water-supply management options to supplement traditional water-supply approaches.
The USGS compiles water-use data from numerous sources for all parts of the country, and since 1950 has published a series of Circulars on the estimated use of water in the United States at 5-year intervals. These Circulars contain State-level estimates of the amount of public- and self-supplied water used for commercial, domestic, industrial, irrigation, livestock, mining, power generation, and other purposes. The water-use data collected and compiled in North Carolina are an integral part of the nationwide assessment of water supply and demand.
Water Use Data is available at National Water Information System (NWIS): North Carolina
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.This diagram uses a "cylinder and pipe" layout to show the source (surface water or groundwater) of the North Carolina's freshwater and for what purposes the water was used in 2010. The data are broken out for each category of use by surface water and groundwater as the source. The top row of cylinders represents where America's freshwater came from (source) in 2010, either from surface water (blue) or from groundwater (brown). The pipes leading out of the surface-water and groundwater cylinders on the top row and flowing into the bottom rows of cylinders (green) show the categories of water use where the water was sent after being withdrawn from a river, lake, reservoir, or well. Each green cylinder represents a category of water use.(Public domain.) - Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Water Use in Georgia, 2010
Total water use, for 2010,was estimated at 4,680 Mgal/d which included 1,130 Mgal/d of water delivered by public suppliers to domestic, commercial and public use, and industrial customer and publics supply losses. About 6.7 Mgal/d of water was delivered from public suppliers in Alabama and Tennessee to customers in Georgia. Furthermore, 2,230 Mgal/d of water was returned to surface-water bodies in...Water Use in South Carolina, 2010
The future health and welfare of the Nation's population is dependent upon a continuing supply of uncontaminated fresh water. Increasing withdrawals and increasing demands for instream flows are limiting the water available for future use. The USGS compiles water-use data from numerous sources for all parts of the country, and since 1950 has published a series of Circulars on the estimated use of... - Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Organic compounds assessed in Neuse River water used for public supply near Smithfield, North Carolina, 2002-2005
Organic compounds studied in a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment of water samples from the Neuse River and the public supply system for the Town of Smithfield, North Carolina, generally are manmade and include pesticides, gasoline hydrocarbons, solvents, personal-care and domestic-use products, disinfection by-products, and manufacturing additives. Of the 277 compounds assessed, a total ofAuthorsMichelle C. MoormanEstimated water use, by county, in North Carolina, 1995
Data on water use in North Carolina were compiled for 1995 as part of a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Division of Water Resources of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Data were compiled from a number of Federal, State, and private sources for the offstream water-use categories of public supply, domestic, commercial, industrial, mAuthorsD. A. WaltersEstimated water use, by county, in North Carolina, 1990
Data on water use in North Carolina were compiled for 1990 as part of a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Division of Water Resources of the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources. Data were compiled from a number of Federal, State, and private sources for the offstream water-use categories of public supply, domestic, commercial, induAuthorsSilvia Terziotti, Tony P. Schrader, M.W. Treece