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 systems, and incidental water losses. The livestock category excludes on-farm domestic use, lawn and garden watering, and irrigation water use.
••• 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.)
Withdrawals for livestock use were an estimated 2,000 Mgal/d for 2015, less than 1 percent of total freshwater withdrawals. Groundwater was the source for 62 percent of total livestock withdrawals.
| State | Percentage of total withdrawals |
Cumulative percentage of total withdrawals |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 14% | 14% |
| California | 9% | 23% |
| Iowa | 8% | 31% |
| Nebraska | 6% | 37% |
| Kansas | 5% | 42% |
Withdrawals for livestock were about the same in 2015 as in 2010.
Data sources
Few State agencies require livestock operations to report water withdrawals; therefore, most estimates of livestock withdrawals are derived using animal population data and water-use coefficients, in gallons per head per day for each animal type. Animal population data generally are available from State agricultural agencies and the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Coefficients vary by State and, for many States, are provided by agricultural extension agents or water-permitting agencies. Coefficients may reflect facility maintenance needs and effects of climate on animal watering. Many of the 2015 withdrawals for livestock were estimated according to methods described by Lovelace (2009).
Category history
- 1950: Rural (included self-supplied domestic: estimates were allocated to Rural Domestic and Livestock in later reports)
- 1960-1980: Livestock subcategory under Rural
- 1985: Livestock, including water use for fish farming
- 1990-1995: Livestock. Subcategory of Animal Specialties included horses and fish farming
- 2000 and later: Livestock. Separate category of Aquaculture includes fish farming and fish hatcheries
Below are links for other categories of water use.
Water Use in the United States
Public Supply Water Use
Domestic Water Use
Irrigation Water Use
Thermoelectric Power Water Use
Industrial Water Use
Mining Water Use
Aquaculture Water Use
- Overview
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 systems, and incidental water losses. The livestock category excludes on-farm domestic use, lawn and garden watering, and irrigation water use.
••• 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.Cow at water tank, Lamar County, Georgia. (Credit: Jeff Vanuga, USDA NRCS) 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.)
Withdrawals for livestock use were an estimated 2,000 Mgal/d for 2015, less than 1 percent of total freshwater withdrawals. Groundwater was the source for 62 percent of total livestock withdrawals.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Livestock withdrawals, top States, 2015
[percentages calculated from unrounded values]State Percentage of
total withdrawalsCumulative percentage
of total withdrawalsTexas 14% 14% California 9% 23% Iowa 8% 31% Nebraska 6% 37% Kansas 5% 42% Withdrawals for livestock were about the same in 2015 as in 2010.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Data sources
Few State agencies require livestock operations to report water withdrawals; therefore, most estimates of livestock withdrawals are derived using animal population data and water-use coefficients, in gallons per head per day for each animal type. Animal population data generally are available from State agricultural agencies and the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Coefficients vary by State and, for many States, are provided by agricultural extension agents or water-permitting agencies. Coefficients may reflect facility maintenance needs and effects of climate on animal watering. Many of the 2015 withdrawals for livestock were estimated according to methods described by Lovelace (2009).
Category history
- 1950: Rural (included self-supplied domestic: estimates were allocated to Rural Domestic and Livestock in later reports)
- 1960-1980: Livestock subcategory under Rural
- 1985: Livestock, including water use for fish farming
- 1990-1995: Livestock. Subcategory of Animal Specialties included horses and fish farming
- 2000 and later: Livestock. Separate category of Aquaculture includes fish farming and fish hatcheries
- 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...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...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