Water Use in the United States Active
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.
The USGS collaborates with local, state, and federal partners to gather and incorporate water-use data with other datasets covering climate, population, geography, system characteristics, land use, social factors, and economics. This information is then integrated into a modeling framework to generate national estimates of water withdrawal and consumption (evapotranspiration of withdrawn water) from both groundwater and surface-water sources. These estimates are crucial for understanding how water is used and for assessing the balance between water supply and demand. Models also enable more frequent availability of water use estimates, quicker identification of data errors, and a consistent approach to evaluating uncertainty. This improved understanding of the factors influencing water use supports the forecasting of water use under varying climate and socio-economic scenarios.
Withdrawals for public supply water use, and withdrawals and consumptive use for irrigation water use are estimated for each month of the period 2000-2020 for all watersheds at the 12-digit hydrologic unit code level (HUC-12) in the conterminous United States. The withdrawal and consumptive use estimates for thermoelectric power water use are available for each month of the period from 2008-2020, by power plant.
The models provide estimates at finer temporal and spatial resolution than previous annual, county-level estimates published by the USGS.
Five additional categories of use (self-supplied industrial, domestic, mining, livestock, and aquaculture) will be available in 2025, as the development of those models began in 2023. Models will be expanded to include golf irrigation and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands during a future phase of model development.
This water-use reanalysis supports the Water Availability and Use Science Program goals of determining the quantity and quality of water that is available for human and ecological uses, now and in the future and helps to identify where and when the Nation may have challenges meeting its demand for water because of insufficient water quantity or quality.
Estimated use of water in the United States (2020)
Data are available from the USGS ScienceBase Catalog.
Public Supply
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Luukkonen, C.L., Alzraiee, A.H., Larsen, J.D., Martin, D.J., Herbert, D.M., Buchwald, C.A., Houston, N.A., Valseth, K.J., Paulinski, S., Miller, L.D., Niswonger, R.G., Stewart, J.S., and Dieter, C.A., 2023, Public supply water use reanalysis for the 2000-2020 period by HUC12, month, and year for the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9FUL880.
Self-supplied irrigation
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Martin, D.J., Regan, R.S., Haynes, J.V., Read, A.L., Henson, W.R., Stewart, J.S., Brandt, J.T., and Niswonger, R.G., 2023, Irrigation water use reanalysis for the 2000-20 period by HUC12, month, and year for the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9YWR0OJ.
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Haynes, J.V., Read, A.L, Chan, A.Y., Martin, D.J., Regan, R.S., Henson, W.R., Niswonger, R.G., and Stewart, J.S., 2023, Monthly crop irrigation withdrawals and efficiencies by HUC12 watershed for years 2000-2020 within the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9LGISUM.
Self-supplied thermoelectric
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Galanter, A.E., Gorman Sanisaca, L.E., Skinner, K.D., Harris, M.A., Diehl, T.H., Chamberlin, C.A., McCarthy, B.A., Halper, A.S., Niswonger, R.G., Stewart, J.S., Markstrom, S.L., Embry, I., and Worland, S., 2023, Thermoelectric-power water use reanalysis for the 2008-2020 period by power plant, month, and year for the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9ZE2FVM.
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Gorman Sanisaca, L.E., Galanter, A.E., Skinner, K.D., Harris, M.A., Diehl, T.H., Halper, A.S., Mohs, T.G., Roland, V.L., Stewart, J.S., and Niswonger, R., 2023, Thermoelectric-power condenser duty estimates by month and cooling type for use to calculate water use by power plant for the 2008-2020 reanalysis period for the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9XG876W.
Estimated use of water in the United States (2015)
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Estimated total water use for all categories and sources by State
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Water-use estimates for groundwater and surface water by State.
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Trends: How water use is changing over time, starting with the initial USGS estimates for 1950.
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Categories:
Additional information: Water-use category changes over time • Water-use terminology
Below are other water-use topics.
National Modeled Water Atlas
Below are data associated with water use in the United States.
Below are publications associated with water use in the United States.
Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015
Water use in the United States, 1980
Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 1980
Estimated use of water in the United States in 1975
Estimated use of water in the United States in 1970
Estimated use of water in the United States, 1965
Estimated use of water in the United States, 1960
Estimated use of water in the United States, 1955
Estimated use of water in the United States - 1950
- Overview
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.
The USGS collaborates with local, state, and federal partners to gather and incorporate water-use data with other datasets covering climate, population, geography, system characteristics, land use, social factors, and economics. This information is then integrated into a modeling framework to generate national estimates of water withdrawal and consumption (evapotranspiration of withdrawn water) from both groundwater and surface-water sources. These estimates are crucial for understanding how water is used and for assessing the balance between water supply and demand. Models also enable more frequent availability of water use estimates, quicker identification of data errors, and a consistent approach to evaluating uncertainty. This improved understanding of the factors influencing water use supports the forecasting of water use under varying climate and socio-economic scenarios.
Withdrawals for public supply water use, and withdrawals and consumptive use for irrigation water use are estimated for each month of the period 2000-2020 for all watersheds at the 12-digit hydrologic unit code level (HUC-12) in the conterminous United States. The withdrawal and consumptive use estimates for thermoelectric power water use are available for each month of the period from 2008-2020, by power plant.
The models provide estimates at finer temporal and spatial resolution than previous annual, county-level estimates published by the USGS.
Five additional categories of use (self-supplied industrial, domestic, mining, livestock, and aquaculture) will be available in 2025, as the development of those models began in 2023. Models will be expanded to include golf irrigation and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands during a future phase of model development.
This water-use reanalysis supports the Water Availability and Use Science Program goals of determining the quantity and quality of water that is available for human and ecological uses, now and in the future and helps to identify where and when the Nation may have challenges meeting its demand for water because of insufficient water quantity or quality.
Estimated use of water in the United States (2020)
Data are available from the USGS ScienceBase Catalog.
Public Supply
-
Luukkonen, C.L., Alzraiee, A.H., Larsen, J.D., Martin, D.J., Herbert, D.M., Buchwald, C.A., Houston, N.A., Valseth, K.J., Paulinski, S., Miller, L.D., Niswonger, R.G., Stewart, J.S., and Dieter, C.A., 2023, Public supply water use reanalysis for the 2000-2020 period by HUC12, month, and year for the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9FUL880.
Self-supplied irrigation
-
Martin, D.J., Regan, R.S., Haynes, J.V., Read, A.L., Henson, W.R., Stewart, J.S., Brandt, J.T., and Niswonger, R.G., 2023, Irrigation water use reanalysis for the 2000-20 period by HUC12, month, and year for the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9YWR0OJ.
-
Haynes, J.V., Read, A.L, Chan, A.Y., Martin, D.J., Regan, R.S., Henson, W.R., Niswonger, R.G., and Stewart, J.S., 2023, Monthly crop irrigation withdrawals and efficiencies by HUC12 watershed for years 2000-2020 within the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9LGISUM.
Self-supplied thermoelectric
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Galanter, A.E., Gorman Sanisaca, L.E., Skinner, K.D., Harris, M.A., Diehl, T.H., Chamberlin, C.A., McCarthy, B.A., Halper, A.S., Niswonger, R.G., Stewart, J.S., Markstrom, S.L., Embry, I., and Worland, S., 2023, Thermoelectric-power water use reanalysis for the 2008-2020 period by power plant, month, and year for the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9ZE2FVM.
-
Gorman Sanisaca, L.E., Galanter, A.E., Skinner, K.D., Harris, M.A., Diehl, T.H., Halper, A.S., Mohs, T.G., Roland, V.L., Stewart, J.S., and Niswonger, R., 2023, Thermoelectric-power condenser duty estimates by month and cooling type for use to calculate water use by power plant for the 2008-2020 reanalysis period for the conterminous United States: U.S. Geological Survey, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9XG876W.
Estimated use of water in the United States (2015)
-
Estimated total water use for all categories and sources by State
-
Water-use estimates for groundwater and surface water by State.
-
Trends: How water use is changing over time, starting with the initial USGS estimates for 1950.
-
Categories:
Additional information: Water-use category changes over time • Water-use terminology
-
- Science
Below are other water-use topics.
National Modeled Water Atlas
The National Modeled Water Atlas will deliver routinely updated water availability information in the United States. - Data
Below are data associated with water use in the United States.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with water use in the United States.
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 Bgal/d, or 87 percent of total withdrawals, and salinAuthorsCheryl A. Dieter, Molly A. Maupin, Rodney R. Caldwell, Melissa A. Harris, Tamara I. Ivahnenko, John K. Lovelace, Nancy L. Barber, Kristin S. LinseyFilter Total Items: 20Water use in the United States, 1980
No abstract available.AuthorsWayne B. Solley, Nancy L. Barber, Charles F. MerkEstimated Use of Water in the United States in 1980
Water use in the United States in 1980 was estimated to be an average of 450 bgd (billion gallons per day) of fresh and saline water for offstream uses- an 8-percent increase from the 1975 estimate and a 22-percent increase from the 1970 estimate. Average per capita use for all offstream uses was 2,000 gpd (gallons per day) of fresh and saline water, and 1,600 gpd of fresh water; this represents aAuthorsWayne B. Solley, Edith B. Chase, William B. MannEstimated use of water in the United States in 1975
Estimates of water use in the United States in 1975 indicate that an average of about 420 bgd (billion gallons per day) about 1,900 gallons per capita per day was withdrawn for the four principal off-channel uses which are (1) publicsupply (for domestic, commercial, and industrial uses), (2) rural (domestic and livestock), (3) irrigation, and (4) self-supplied industrial (including thermoelectricAuthorsCharles Richard Murray, E. Bodette ReevesEstimated use of water in the United States in 1970
Estimates of water use in the United States in 1970 indicate that an average of about 370 bgd (billion gallons per day)about 1,800 gallons per capita per day--was withdrawn for the four principal off-channel uses which are (1) public-supply (for domestic, commercial, and industrial uses), (2) rural (domestic and livestock), (3) irrigation, and (4) self-supplied industrial (including thermoelectricAuthorsCharles Richard Murray, E. Bodette ReevesEstimated use of water in the United States, 1965
Estimates of water use in the United States for 1965 indicate that an average of about 310 bgd (billion gallons per day) were withdrawn for public-supply, rural domestic and livestock, irrigation, and industrial (including thermoelectric power)uses--that is, about 1,600 gallons per capita per day. This represents an increase of 15 percent over the withdrawal of 270 bgd reported for 1960. Fresh watAuthorsCharles Richard MurrayEstimated use of water in the United States, 1960
The estimated overage withdrawal use of water in the United States during 1960 was almost 270,000 mgd (million gallons per day), exclusive of water used to develop water power. This estimated use amounts to about 1,500 gpd (galIons per day) per capita. An additional 2,000,000 mgd were used to develop waterpower.Withdrawal use of water requires that the water be removed from the ground or divertedAuthorsK.A. MacKichan, J.C. KammererEstimated use of water in the United States, 1955
The estimated withdrawal use of water in the United States during 1955 was about 740,000 mgd (million gallons per day). Withdrawal use of water requires that it be removed from the ground or diverted from a stream or lake. In this report it is divided into five types: public supplies, rural, irrigation, self-supplied industrial, and waterpower. Consumptive use of water is the quantity discharged tAuthorsKenneth Allen MacKichanEstimated use of water in the United States - 1950
An estimated 170,000 million gallons of water was withdrawn from the ground, lakes, or streams each day on the average during 1950 and used on the farms and in the homes, factories, and business establishments of the United States. An additional 1,100,000 million gallons per day was used to generate hydro-power. Water power is the largest user of water; however, irrigation and industry also are laAuthorsKenneth Allen MacKichan - Web Tools