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 percent of the national total.
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Summary of estimated water use in the United States in 2015 Summary of estimated water use in the United States in 2015
A total of 322 Bgal/d of water withdrawals was reported for eight categories of use in the United States in 2015, which was 9 percent less than in 2010 (354 Bgal/d), and continued a declining trend since 2005. The decline in total withdrawals in 2015 primarily was caused by significant decreases (28.8 Bgal/d) in thermoelectric power, which accounted for 89 percent of the decrease in...
Authors
Molly A. Maupin
Withdrawal and consumption of water by thermoelectric power plants in the United States, 2010 Withdrawal and consumption of water by thermoelectric power plants in the United States, 2010
Estimates of water use at thermoelectric plants were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey based on linked heat and water budgets, and complement reported thermoelectric water withdrawals and consumption. The heat- and water-budget models produced withdrawal and consumption estimates, including thermodynamically plausible ranges of minimum and maximum withdrawal and consumption, for 1...
Authors
Timothy H. Diehl, Melissa A. Harris
Estimated withdrawals from principal aquifers in the United States, 2000 Estimated withdrawals from principal aquifers in the United States, 2000
Fresh ground-water withdrawals from 66 principal aquifers in the United States were estimated for irrigation, public-supply, and self-supplied industrial water uses for the year 2000. Total ground-water withdrawals were 76,500 million gallons per day, or 85,800 thousand acre-feet per year for these three uses. Irrigation used the largest amount of ground water, 56,900 million gallons per...
Authors
Molly A. Maupin, Nancy L. Barber
Related
Filter Total Items: 15
Summary of estimated water use in the United States in 2015 Summary of estimated water use in the United States in 2015
A total of 322 Bgal/d of water withdrawals was reported for eight categories of use in the United States in 2015, which was 9 percent less than in 2010 (354 Bgal/d), and continued a declining trend since 2005. The decline in total withdrawals in 2015 primarily was caused by significant decreases (28.8 Bgal/d) in thermoelectric power, which accounted for 89 percent of the decrease in...
Authors
Molly A. Maupin
Withdrawal and consumption of water by thermoelectric power plants in the United States, 2010 Withdrawal and consumption of water by thermoelectric power plants in the United States, 2010
Estimates of water use at thermoelectric plants were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey based on linked heat and water budgets, and complement reported thermoelectric water withdrawals and consumption. The heat- and water-budget models produced withdrawal and consumption estimates, including thermodynamically plausible ranges of minimum and maximum withdrawal and consumption, for 1...
Authors
Timothy H. Diehl, Melissa A. Harris
Estimated withdrawals from principal aquifers in the United States, 2000 Estimated withdrawals from principal aquifers in the United States, 2000
Fresh ground-water withdrawals from 66 principal aquifers in the United States were estimated for irrigation, public-supply, and self-supplied industrial water uses for the year 2000. Total ground-water withdrawals were 76,500 million gallons per day, or 85,800 thousand acre-feet per year for these three uses. Irrigation used the largest amount of ground water, 56,900 million gallons per...
Authors
Molly A. Maupin, Nancy L. Barber
Updated Date: May 8, 2026