Water-use terminology in the series of USGS water-use circulars, first published for the year 1950, has changed over time as illustrated in this PDF.
Water use terminology in the series of USGS Water Use Circulars, first published for the year 1950, has changed over time. Some categories were re-named but retained essentially the same definition, while other changes split existing categories or shifted components of one category to another.
••• WATER USE HOME • TOTAL WATER USE • SURFACE WATER USE • GROUNDWATER USE • TRENDS •••
Public Supply • Domestic • Irrigation • Thermoelectric Power • Industrial • Mining • Livestock • Aquaculture
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Detailed description of the history of water use category names
- Public Supply:
- In 1950, public supply was estimated as municipal water use.
- Since 1955, USGS has delivered public supply water use estimates.
- Irrigation:
- Since 1950, USGS has delivered irrigation water use estimates.
- Aquaculture:
- The 1985 estimates include water use for fish farming in the livestock category.
- For 1990 and 1995, aquaculture-related water use was included in animal specialties (fish farming) and commercial (off-stream fish hatcheries).
- Since 2000, aquaculture has included both fish farming and fish hatcheries.
- Livestock:
- For 1950 and 1955, livestock was included in the rural water use category, which included self-supplied domestic water use.
- From 1960 to 1980, livestock water use was included in the rural livestock category.
- In the 1985 release, livestock included water use for fish farming.
- For 1990 and 1995, the livestock category named “Animal Specialties” included horse and fish farming.
- Industrial, Mining, and Commercial:
- The 1950, self-supplied industrial water use estimates included thermoelectric power, mining, commercial, and industrial water use.
- Beginning in1955, thermoelectric water use was separated out from industrial water use (which until 1985 included mining and commercial water use).
- Since1985, industrial has been estimated as a separate category from mining and commercial.
- For 1985, 1990, and 1995, commercial water use was estimated and included fish hatcheries. Fish hatcheries were included in the aquaculture category beginning in 2000.
- Commercial water use was estimated as a separate category for 1985, 1990, and 1995, however it was not estimated after 1995.
- Thermoelectric:
- In 1950, self-supplied industrial included thermoelectric, mining, commercial, and industrial water use.
- In 1955, thermoelectric water use was separated out from other industrial water use but referred to as fuel-electric power.
- In 1965, fuel-electric power was renamed as thermoelectric power
- From 1955 to 1980, thermoelectric power water use estimates were provided by condenser-cooled or other.
- For 1985, 1990, and 1995, thermoelectric power water use estimates were provided by fuel type, including fossil fuel, geothermal, or nuclear.
- Since 2000, thermoelectric power water use has been estimated by cooling type, including once-through cooling or closed-loop (recirculating) cooling
- Hydroelectric:
- From 1950 to 1995, USGS published hydroelectric water use estimates.
- Estimates for hydroelectric power water were discontinued after 1995.
- Wastewater Treatment:
- For 1985, wastewater treatment was estimated as sewage treatment
- For 1990 and 1995, this category was estimated as wastewater treatment
- Estimates for wastewater treatment were discontinued after 1995.
Ancillary data such as population served by public supply, power generated, and irrigated acres has also been included in many of the reports.
Below are related water-use topics.
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.
Trends in Water Use
Total withdrawals for all categories of use in 2015 were estimated to be 322 billion gallons per day (Bgal/d), a level of withdrawal not reported since before 1970. Total withdrawals in 2015 were 9 percent less than in 2010, continuing a sharp but steady downward trend since 2005. Freshwater withdrawals were also 9 percent less than in 2015.
Water-Use Terminology
The following terms have been used in one or more of the water-use publications. The comparison of water-use categories over the history of these reports may also help clarify the use of some of the terms.
Below is a PDF version of a table showing the changes in water-use terminology, used the series of USGS water-use circulars, since 1950.
Changes in Water-Use Categories
Water-use terminology in the series of USGS water-use circulars, first published for the year 1950, has changed over time as illustrated in this PDF.
Water use terminology in the series of USGS Water Use Circulars, first published for the year 1950, has changed over time. Some categories were re-named but retained essentially the same definition, while other changes split existing categories or shifted components of one category to another.
••• WATER USE HOME • TOTAL WATER USE • SURFACE WATER USE • GROUNDWATER USE • TRENDS •••
Public Supply • Domestic • Irrigation • Thermoelectric Power • Industrial • Mining • Livestock • Aquaculture
Media
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Detailed description of the history of water use category names
- Public Supply:
- In 1950, public supply was estimated as municipal water use.
- Since 1955, USGS has delivered public supply water use estimates.
- Irrigation:
- Since 1950, USGS has delivered irrigation water use estimates.
- Aquaculture:
- The 1985 estimates include water use for fish farming in the livestock category.
- For 1990 and 1995, aquaculture-related water use was included in animal specialties (fish farming) and commercial (off-stream fish hatcheries).
- Since 2000, aquaculture has included both fish farming and fish hatcheries.
- Livestock:
- For 1950 and 1955, livestock was included in the rural water use category, which included self-supplied domestic water use.
- From 1960 to 1980, livestock water use was included in the rural livestock category.
- In the 1985 release, livestock included water use for fish farming.
- For 1990 and 1995, the livestock category named “Animal Specialties” included horse and fish farming.
- Industrial, Mining, and Commercial:
- The 1950, self-supplied industrial water use estimates included thermoelectric power, mining, commercial, and industrial water use.
- Beginning in1955, thermoelectric water use was separated out from industrial water use (which until 1985 included mining and commercial water use).
- Since1985, industrial has been estimated as a separate category from mining and commercial.
- For 1985, 1990, and 1995, commercial water use was estimated and included fish hatcheries. Fish hatcheries were included in the aquaculture category beginning in 2000.
- Commercial water use was estimated as a separate category for 1985, 1990, and 1995, however it was not estimated after 1995.
- Thermoelectric:
- In 1950, self-supplied industrial included thermoelectric, mining, commercial, and industrial water use.
- In 1955, thermoelectric water use was separated out from other industrial water use but referred to as fuel-electric power.
- In 1965, fuel-electric power was renamed as thermoelectric power
- From 1955 to 1980, thermoelectric power water use estimates were provided by condenser-cooled or other.
- For 1985, 1990, and 1995, thermoelectric power water use estimates were provided by fuel type, including fossil fuel, geothermal, or nuclear.
- Since 2000, thermoelectric power water use has been estimated by cooling type, including once-through cooling or closed-loop (recirculating) cooling
- Hydroelectric:
- From 1950 to 1995, USGS published hydroelectric water use estimates.
- Estimates for hydroelectric power water were discontinued after 1995.
- Wastewater Treatment:
- For 1985, wastewater treatment was estimated as sewage treatment
- For 1990 and 1995, this category was estimated as wastewater treatment
- Estimates for wastewater treatment were discontinued after 1995.
Ancillary data such as population served by public supply, power generated, and irrigated acres has also been included in many of the reports.
Below are related water-use topics.
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.
Trends in Water Use
Total withdrawals for all categories of use in 2015 were estimated to be 322 billion gallons per day (Bgal/d), a level of withdrawal not reported since before 1970. Total withdrawals in 2015 were 9 percent less than in 2010, continuing a sharp but steady downward trend since 2005. Freshwater withdrawals were also 9 percent less than in 2015.
Water-Use Terminology
The following terms have been used in one or more of the water-use publications. The comparison of water-use categories over the history of these reports may also help clarify the use of some of the terms.
Below is a PDF version of a table showing the changes in water-use terminology, used the series of USGS water-use circulars, since 1950.
Changes in Water-Use Categories
Water-use terminology in the series of USGS water-use circulars, first published for the year 1950, has changed over time as illustrated in this PDF.
Water-use terminology in the series of USGS water-use circulars, first published for the year 1950, has changed over time as illustrated in this PDF.