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 renamed but retained essentially the same definition, while other changes split existing categories or shifted components of one category to another.
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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 in 1955, thermoelectric water use was separated out from industrial water use (which until 1985 included mining and commercial water use).
- Since 1985, 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 was 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.
The Accessing Water Use Data page provides a detailed list and links to all the data available plus the original circulars.
Below are related water-use topics.
Water Use in the United States
Since 1950, the USGS has regularly produced nationwide water‑use data, creating one of the most comprehensive pictures of how water is used across the United States. Building on this rich historical record, these data give water managers a critical foundation to evaluate long‑term trends, plan strategically, and identify and quantify water availability so they can design more adaptive, resilient...
Accessing Water Use Data
The USGS provides historic and recent water use data for the United States including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This page provides an up-to-date guide to accessing, downloading, and using USGS water use data.
Public Supply Water Use
Public supply refers to water withdrawn by public and private water suppliers that provide water to at least 25 people or have a minimum of 15 connections. Public-supply water is delivered to users for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes. Part of the total is used for public services, such as public pools, parks, firefighting, water and wastewater treatment, and municipal buildings, and...
Domestic Water Use
Domestic water use includes indoor and outdoor uses at residences, and includes uses such as drinking, food preparation, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, flushing toilets, watering lawns and gardens, and maintaining pools. Domestic water use includes potable and non-potable water provided to households by a public water supplier (domestic deliveries) and self-supplied water use. Self-supplied...
Irrigation Water Use
Irrigation water use includes water that is applied by an irrigation system to sustain plant growth in agricultural and horticultural practices. Irrigation also includes water that is used for pre-irrigation, frost protection, chemical application, weed control, field preparation, crop cooling, harvesting, dust suppression, and leaching salts from the root zone. Estimates of irrigation withdrawals...
Thermoelectric Power Water Use
Water for thermoelectric power is used in the process of generating electricity with steam-driven turbine generators. Since 2000, thermoelectric-power withdrawals have been compiled by cooling-system type. Once-through cooling refers to cooling systems in which water is circulated through heat exchangers, and then returned to the source. Recirculating cooling refers to cooling systems in which...
Industrial Water Use
Industrial withdrawals provide water for such purposes as fabricating, processing, washing, diluting, cooling, or transporting a product; incorporating water into a product; or for sanitation needs within the manufacturing facility. Some industries that use large amounts of water produce such commodities as food, paper, chemicals, refined petroleum, or primary metals. Water for industrial use may...
Mining Water Use
Mining water use is water used for the extraction of minerals that may be in the form of solids, such as coal, iron, sand, and gravel; liquids, such as crude petroleum; and gases, such as natural gas. The category includes quarrying, milling of mined materials, injection of water for secondary oil recovery or for unconventional oil and gas recovery (such as hydraulic fracturing), and other...
Livestock Water Use
Livestock water use is water associated with livestock watering, feedlots, dairy operations, and other on-farm needs. Livestock includes dairy cows and heifers, beef cattle and calves, sheep and lambs, goats, hogs and pigs, horses, and poultry. Other livestock water uses include cooling of facilities for the animals and products, dairy sanitation and wash down of facilities, animal waste-disposal...
Aquaculture Water Use
Aquaculture water use is water associated with raising organisms that live in water—such as finfish and shellfish—for food, restoration, conservation, or sport. Aquaculture production occurs under controlled feeding, sanitation, and harvesting procedures primarily in ponds, flowthrough raceways, and, to a lesser extent, cages, net pens, and closed-recirculation tanks.
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 renamed but retained essentially the same definition, while other changes split existing categories or shifted components of one category to another.
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 in 1955, thermoelectric water use was separated out from industrial water use (which until 1985 included mining and commercial water use).
- Since 1985, 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 was 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.
The Accessing Water Use Data page provides a detailed list and links to all the data available plus the original circulars.
Below are related water-use topics.
Water Use in the United States
Since 1950, the USGS has regularly produced nationwide water‑use data, creating one of the most comprehensive pictures of how water is used across the United States. Building on this rich historical record, these data give water managers a critical foundation to evaluate long‑term trends, plan strategically, and identify and quantify water availability so they can design more adaptive, resilient...
Accessing Water Use Data
The USGS provides historic and recent water use data for the United States including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This page provides an up-to-date guide to accessing, downloading, and using USGS water use data.
Public Supply Water Use
Public supply refers to water withdrawn by public and private water suppliers that provide water to at least 25 people or have a minimum of 15 connections. Public-supply water is delivered to users for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes. Part of the total is used for public services, such as public pools, parks, firefighting, water and wastewater treatment, and municipal buildings, and...
Domestic Water Use
Domestic water use includes indoor and outdoor uses at residences, and includes uses such as drinking, food preparation, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, flushing toilets, watering lawns and gardens, and maintaining pools. Domestic water use includes potable and non-potable water provided to households by a public water supplier (domestic deliveries) and self-supplied water use. Self-supplied...
Irrigation Water Use
Irrigation water use includes water that is applied by an irrigation system to sustain plant growth in agricultural and horticultural practices. Irrigation also includes water that is used for pre-irrigation, frost protection, chemical application, weed control, field preparation, crop cooling, harvesting, dust suppression, and leaching salts from the root zone. Estimates of irrigation withdrawals...
Thermoelectric Power Water Use
Water for thermoelectric power is used in the process of generating electricity with steam-driven turbine generators. Since 2000, thermoelectric-power withdrawals have been compiled by cooling-system type. Once-through cooling refers to cooling systems in which water is circulated through heat exchangers, and then returned to the source. Recirculating cooling refers to cooling systems in which...
Industrial Water Use
Industrial withdrawals provide water for such purposes as fabricating, processing, washing, diluting, cooling, or transporting a product; incorporating water into a product; or for sanitation needs within the manufacturing facility. Some industries that use large amounts of water produce such commodities as food, paper, chemicals, refined petroleum, or primary metals. Water for industrial use may...
Mining Water Use
Mining water use is water used for the extraction of minerals that may be in the form of solids, such as coal, iron, sand, and gravel; liquids, such as crude petroleum; and gases, such as natural gas. The category includes quarrying, milling of mined materials, injection of water for secondary oil recovery or for unconventional oil and gas recovery (such as hydraulic fracturing), and other...
Livestock Water Use
Livestock water use is water associated with livestock watering, feedlots, dairy operations, and other on-farm needs. Livestock includes dairy cows and heifers, beef cattle and calves, sheep and lambs, goats, hogs and pigs, horses, and poultry. Other livestock water uses include cooling of facilities for the animals and products, dairy sanitation and wash down of facilities, animal waste-disposal...
Aquaculture Water Use
Aquaculture water use is water associated with raising organisms that live in water—such as finfish and shellfish—for food, restoration, conservation, or sport. Aquaculture production occurs under controlled feeding, sanitation, and harvesting procedures primarily in ponds, flowthrough raceways, and, to a lesser extent, cages, net pens, and closed-recirculation tanks.
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.