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 Self-supplied domestic water use is typically withdrawn from a private source, such as a well, or captured as rainwater in a cistern.
••• WATER USE HOME • TOTAL WATER USE • SURFACE WATER USE • GROUNDWATER USE • TRENDS •••
Public Supply • Domestic • Irrigation • Thermoelectric Power • Industrial • Mining • Livestock • Aquaculture
2015 Water Use
(source: Dieter, C.A., Maupin, M.A., Caldwell, R.R., Harris, M.A., Ivahnenko, T.I., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2018, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1441, 65 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1441.)
The majority of people in the United States used water provided by public suppliers. Domestic deliveries by public water suppliers totaled 23,300 Mgal/d in 2015 and represented water provided to 283 million people at single-family and multifamily dwellings.
Self-supplied withdrawals for domestic use were estimated at 3,260 Mgal/d, or about 1 percent of total withdrawals for all uses in 2015, supplying an estimated 42.5 million people. Nearly all (98 percent) of these self-supplied withdrawals were from fresh groundwater sources.
| State | Percentage of total use |
Cumulative percentage of total use |
|---|---|---|
| California | 13% | 13% |
| Texas | 9% | 21% |
| Florida | 6% | 27% |
| New York | 5% | 33% |
| Illinois | 4% | 37% |
| Self-supplied domestic withdrawals, top States, 2015 [percentages calculated from unrounded values] |
Domestic deliveries from public supply, top States, 2015 [percentages calculated from unrounded values] |
|||||
| State | Percentage of total withdrawals |
Cumulative percentage of total withdrawals |
State | Percentage of total deliveries |
Cumulative percentage of total deliveries |
|
| Pennsylvania | 6% | 6% | California | 14% | 14% | |
| New York | 6% | 12% | Texas | 9% | 23% | |
| Michigan | 6% | 18% | Florida | 6% | 29% | |
| Florida | 5% | 23% | New York | 5% | 35% | |
| North Carolina | 5% | 28% | Arizona | 4% | 39% | |
Self-supplied domestic withdrawals declined 8 percent between 2010 and 2015. Total domestic use (withdrawals plus deliveries from public supply) declined about 3 percent over this period.
Public-supply deliveries for domestic use are not available for 1950, 1955, and 2000.
Values for 1960-1980 include distribution system losses.
Data sources
Methods for estimating domestic deliveries from public suppliers included surveys of public-supply sales information, calculations using coefficients for per capita use, and development of average percentages of deliveries to various customer categories. Self-supplied domestic withdrawals are rarely metered or reported; typically this usage is calculated by multiplying an estimate of the population not served by public supply by a coefficient for daily per capita use. For some States, these coefficients are county-specific averages derived from observed residential water use and population estimates in nearby areas served by public suppliers. Other States use the same coefficient for all counties, commonly one used by State regulatory or planning agencies.
Category history
- 1950-1955: Rural (included Livestock: estimates were retroactively allocated to Rural Domestic and Livestock in later reports)
- 1960-1980: Rural Domestic
- 1985-later: Domestic
Below are links for other categories of water use.
Water Use in the United States
Public Supply Water Use
Irrigation Water Use
Thermoelectric Power Water Use
Industrial Water Use
Mining Water Use
Livestock Water Use
Aquaculture Water Use
- Overview
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 domestic water use is typically withdrawn from a private source, such as a well, or captured as rainwater in a cistern.
••• WATER USE HOME • TOTAL WATER USE • SURFACE WATER USE • GROUNDWATER USE • TRENDS •••
Public Supply • Domestic • Irrigation • Thermoelectric Power • Industrial • Mining • Livestock • Aquaculture
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Domestic well in south Georgia serves the water needs of one household (Credit: Alan Cressler, USGS) 2015 Water Use
(source: Dieter, C.A., Maupin, M.A., Caldwell, R.R., Harris, M.A., Ivahnenko, T.I., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2018, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1441, 65 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1441.)
The majority of people in the United States used water provided by public suppliers. Domestic deliveries by public water suppliers totaled 23,300 Mgal/d in 2015 and represented water provided to 283 million people at single-family and multifamily dwellings.
Self-supplied withdrawals for domestic use were estimated at 3,260 Mgal/d, or about 1 percent of total withdrawals for all uses in 2015, supplying an estimated 42.5 million people. Nearly all (98 percent) of these self-supplied withdrawals were from fresh groundwater sources.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Total domestic water use (withdrawals and deliveries from public supply), top States, 2015
[percentages calculated from unrounded values]State Percentage of
total useCumulative percentage
of total useCalifornia 13% 13% Texas 9% 21% Florida 6% 27% New York 5% 33% Illinois 4% 37%
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Self-supplied domestic withdrawals,
top States, 2015
[percentages calculated from
unrounded values]Domestic deliveries from public supply,
top States, 2015
[percentages calculated from
unrounded values]State Percentage of
total withdrawalsCumulative
percentage
of total
withdrawalsState Percentage of
total deliveriesCumulative
percentage
of total
deliveriesPennsylvania 6% 6% California 14% 14% New York 6% 12% Texas 9% 23% Michigan 6% 18% Florida 6% 29% Florida 5% 23% New York 5% 35% North Carolina 5% 28% Arizona 4% 39% Self-supplied domestic withdrawals declined 8 percent between 2010 and 2015. Total domestic use (withdrawals plus deliveries from public supply) declined about 3 percent over this period.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Public-supply deliveries for domestic use are not available for 1950, 1955, and 2000.
Values for 1960-1980 include distribution system losses.Data sources
Methods for estimating domestic deliveries from public suppliers included surveys of public-supply sales information, calculations using coefficients for per capita use, and development of average percentages of deliveries to various customer categories. Self-supplied domestic withdrawals are rarely metered or reported; typically this usage is calculated by multiplying an estimate of the population not served by public supply by a coefficient for daily per capita use. For some States, these coefficients are county-specific averages derived from observed residential water use and population estimates in nearby areas served by public suppliers. Other States use the same coefficient for all counties, commonly one used by State regulatory or planning agencies.
Category history
- 1950-1955: Rural (included Livestock: estimates were retroactively allocated to Rural Domestic and Livestock in later reports)
- 1960-1980: Rural Domestic
- 1985-later: Domestic
- Science
Below are links for other categories of water use.
Water Use in the United States
The USGS produces national estimates of water withdrawal and consumptive water use. Withdrawal estimates are currently being finalized for a 20-year period from 2000 to 2020 for the three largest water use categories nationally (public supply, self-supplied thermoelectric power, and self-supplied crop irrigation). Six additional categories of use (self-supplied industrial, domestic, mining...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...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. - Publications