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 process to remove the salt. This process costs so much that it isn't used very much.
Learn more: Water Use in the United States
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Water priorities for the Nation—U.S. Geological Survey Integrated Water Availability Assessments
The United States faces growing challenges to its water supply, infrastructure, and aquatic ecosystems because of population growth, climate change, floods and droughts, and aging water delivery systems. To help address these challenges, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources Mission Area has established new strategic priorities that...
Miller, Mark P.; Clark, Brian R.; Eberts, Sandra M.; Lambert, Patrick M.; Toccalino, Patricia
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) water-use websites
Explore U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) water-use websites to learn how and where the Nation's water use has changed over time! Learn how to find and access USGS water-use data shown in maps, graphs, visualizations, and information products. Gain a better understanding of water-use terms and USGS educational resources. Learn how...
Shaffer, Kimberly; Rowland, Kathleen M.; Sargent, B. Pierre
Continuing progress toward a national assessment of water availability and use
Executive SummaryThe Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111—11) was passed into law on March 30, 2009. Subtitle F, also known as the SECURE Water Act, calls for the establishment of a “national water availability and use assessment program” within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS issued the first report on the...
Evenson, Eric J.; Jones, Sonya A.; Barber, Nancy L.; Barlow, Paul M.; Blodgett, David L.; Bruce, Breton W.; Douglas-Mankin, Kyle; Farmer, William H.; Fischer, Jeffrey M.; Hughes, William B.; Kennen, Jonathan; Kiang, Julie E.; Maupin, Molly A.; Reeves, Howard W.; Senay, Gabriel B.; Stanton, Jennifer S.; Wagner, Chad R.; Wilson, Jennifer T.
Brackish groundwater and its potential as a resource in the southwestern United States
Secure, reliable, and sustainable water resources are fundamental to food production, energy independence, and the health of humans and ecosystems. But the large-scale development of fresh groundwater resources has stressed aquifers in some areas, causing declines in the amount of groundwater in storage and decreases in discharge to surface-water...
Anning, David W.; Beisner, Kimberly R.; Paul, Angela P.; Stanton, Jennifer S.; Thiros, Susan A.
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...
Dieter, Cheryl A.; Maupin, Molly A.; Caldwell, Rodney R.; Harris, Melissa A.; Ivahnenko, Tamara I.; Lovelace, John K.; Barber, Nancy L.; Linsey, Kristin S.
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...
Maupin, Molly A.
Brackish groundwater and its potential to augment freshwater supplies
Secure, reliable, and sustainable water resources are fundamental to the Nation’s food production, energy independence, and ecological and human health and well-being. Indications are that at any given time, water resources are under stress in selected parts of the country. The large-scale development of groundwater resources has caused declines...
Stanton, Jennifer S.; Dennehy, Kevin F.
Brackish groundwater in the United States
For some parts of the Nation, large-scale development of groundwater has caused decreases in the amount of groundwater that is present in aquifer storage and that discharges to surface-water bodies. Water supply in some areas, particularly in arid and semiarid regions, is not adequate to meet demand, and severe drought is affecting large parts of...
Stanton, Jennifer S.; Anning, David W.; Brown, Craig J.; Moore, Richard B.; McGuire, Virginia L.; Qi, Sharon L.; Harris, Alta C.; Dennehy, Kevin F.; McMahon, Peter B.; Degnan, James R.; Böhlke, John Karl
Water Use Across the United States Declines to Levels Not Seen Since 1970
Reductions in water use first observed in 2010 continue, show ongoing effort towards “efficient use of critical water resources.”
USGS Assessment of Brackish Water Could Help Nation Stretch Limited Freshwater Supplies
New USGS assessment provides fresh insights into nation’s brackish groundwater inventory
EarthWord–Salinity
Feeling salty over our bad jokes? Then this EarthWord’s for you!
Human Activities Increase Salt Content in Many of the Nation’s Streams
Concentrations of dissolved solids, a measure of the salt content in water, are elevated in many of the Nations streams as a result of human activities, according to a new USGS study.
All of Earth's water in a single sphere!
This image shows blue spheres representing relative amounts of Earth's water in comparison to the size of the Earth. Are you surprised that these water spheres look so small? They are only small in relation to the size of the Earth. These images attempt to show three dimensions, so each sphere represents "volume." They show that in comparison to the volume of the globe,
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Salt, Sodium, Chlorine
Mineral: Halite (NaCl)
Primary mineral Commodity: Salt
Commodity Uses: Highway deicing accounted for about 44% of total salt consumed in 2016. Salt is also used as feedstock for chlorine and caustic soda manufacture; these two inorganic chemicals are used to make many consumer-related end-use products, such as
Tidal Saline Wetland migration map of the U.S. Gulf Coast
This illustration shows county-level barriers and opportunities for landward migration of Tidal Saline Wetlands under alternative sea-level rise scenarios. (a) Relative percent of areas available for migration. (b to d) Relative ratio of areas where migration is prevented by current urban land (b), by future urban land (c), and by levees (d). Counties with crosshatching
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Salinity Sampling in the Colorado River
A U.S. Geological Survey scientist collects a sample from the Colorado River for analysis of dissolved solids and other water-quality constituents. Credit: Nancy Bauch, USGS.
Interior marshes are experiencing increases in salinity and marsh habitat has been overtaken by encroaching mangroves
Interior marshes are experiencing increases in salinity and marsh habitat has been overtaken by encroaching mangroves
Red Morning Sunrise on Atlantic Ocean
Red morning sunrise on the Atlantic Ocean as seen from a barrier island.
Ocean and Double Rainbow 2
Sunlight and an offshore shower produced this double rainbow off Florida's east coast.
Growth in Municipal Desalination Facilities, 1970-2010
In some parts of the country, freshwater has become more limited and brackish groundwater use has been increasing. This graph shows the number of municipal desalination facilities through 2010. The blue line shows the number of facilities that are processing brackish water (mostly groundwater) and the red line shows the number of facilities that process seawater. Growth in
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Groundwater flow patterns and the freshwater-saltwater transition zone
Groundwater flow patterns and the freshwater-saltwater transition zone in an idealized coastal aquifer. A circulation of saltwater from the sea to the transition zone and then back to the sea is induced by mixing of freshwater and saltwater in the transition zone (Barlow, 2003).
The Process of Saltwater Intrusion
The Process of Saltwater Intrusion: The figure above illustrates how the process of saltwater intrusion into an aquifer system can occur. The boundary between fresh groundwater and saline groundwater is referred to as the freshwater/saltwater interface. Fresh groundwater discharging to the coast prevents the landward encroachment of saline groundwater.
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