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Water Use in the United States Active

By Water Resources March 4, 2019

Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015

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Visualization of 2015 water use by county

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U.S. freshwater withdrawals, 1950-2015

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The USGS works in cooperation with local, State, and Federal agencies to collect water-use information, then compiles these data to produce water-use information aggregated at the county, state, and national levels. Every five years, data at the county level are compiled into a national water-use data system and State-level data are published in a national circular, Estimated Use of Water in the United States.

The National Water Use Science Project, part of the National Water Census, is responsible for compiling and disseminating the nation's water-use data. The USGS Water-Use Data and Research program seeks to develop improved water-use data through agreements with State water-resources agencies.

•••  WATER USE HOME  •  TOTAL WATER USE  •  SURFACE WATER USE  •  GROUNDWATER USE  •  TRENDS  •••

Public Supply  •  Domestic  •  Irrigation  •  Thermoelectric Power  •  Industrial  •  Mining  •  Livestock  •  Aquaculture

 

Water Use Categories

    See how water-use categories have changed since the USGS water-use circulars were first published in 1950.

    Image of eight water-use categories included in the National Water-Use Science Project
    Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
    The eight water-use categories included in the National Water-Use Science Project: public supply, domestic, irrigation, thermoelectric power, self-supplied industrial, mining, livestock, and aquaculture.

      Overviews

       

      Additional information:   Publications  •  Water-use category changes over time  •  Water-use terminology

      Below are other water-use topics.

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      Map of Water Availability and Use Program studies

      Water Availability and Use Science Program: National Water Census

      The USGS National Water Census (NWC) is designed to systematically provide information that will allow resource managers to assess the supply, use, and availability of the Nation’s water. The goal of the NWC is to provide nationally-consistent base layers of well-documented data that account for water availability and use nationally.
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      Water Resources
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      Water Availability and Use Science Program: National Water Census

      The USGS National Water Census (NWC) is designed to systematically provide information that will allow resource managers to assess the supply, use, and availability of the Nation’s water. The goal of the NWC is to provide nationally-consistent base layers of well-documented data that account for water availability and use nationally.
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      A thermoelectric power plant releasing evaporated water to the atmosphere.

      Total Water Use

      The USGS has estimated water use for the United States every 5 years since 1950. Estimates are provided for groundwater and surface-water sources, for fresh and saline water quality, and by sector or category of use. Estimates have been made at the State level since 1950, and at the county level since 1985. Water-use estimates by watershed were made from 1950 through 1995, first at the water...
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program
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      Total Water Use

      The USGS has estimated water use for the United States every 5 years since 1950. Estimates are provided for groundwater and surface-water sources, for fresh and saline water quality, and by sector or category of use. Estimates have been made at the State level since 1950, and at the county level since 1985. Water-use estimates by watershed were made from 1950 through 1995, first at the water...
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      Trends in population and freshwater withdrawals by source, 1950–2015

      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.
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program
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      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.
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      Moab, Utah, Potash In Situ Solution Mining and Solar Evaporation

      Surface-Water Use

      Surface-water sources include streams and rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and oceans. For the purposes of the USGS water-use reports, surface water with less than 1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of dissolved solids is considered freshwater, and the remainder is considered saline.Surface-water resources are often evaluated by watershed. The most recent USGS water-use estimates by watershed are in...
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program
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      Surface-Water Use

      Surface-water sources include streams and rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and oceans. For the purposes of the USGS water-use reports, surface water with less than 1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of dissolved solids is considered freshwater, and the remainder is considered saline.Surface-water resources are often evaluated by watershed. The most recent USGS water-use estimates by watershed are in...
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      Photo of an irrigation well pouring water onto an agricultural field

      Groundwater Use

      Groundwater refers to all subsurface water, specifically that part of groundwater which is in the saturated zone. Groundwater sources are called aquifers: geologic formations that contain sufficient saturated permeable material to yield significant quantities of water to wells and springs. For the purposes of the USGS water-use reports, groundwater with less than 1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L)...
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program
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      Groundwater Use

      Groundwater refers to all subsurface water, specifically that part of groundwater which is in the saturated zone. Groundwater sources are called aquifers: geologic formations that contain sufficient saturated permeable material to yield significant quantities of water to wells and springs. For the purposes of the USGS water-use reports, groundwater with less than 1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L)...
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      Collage of water use

      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.
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program
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      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.
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      Collage of water use

      State Contacts for Water-Use Data

      Water-use data is compiled for each of the United States as well as for the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The list below contains a link to the USGS water-use site for each entity, if one exists, as well as the point of contact for State-level information.
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program
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      State Contacts for Water-Use Data

      Water-use data is compiled for each of the United States as well as for the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The list below contains a link to the USGS water-use site for each entity, if one exists, as well as the point of contact for State-level information.
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      Collage of water use

      The National Water-Use Science Project

      The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Use Science Project (formerly the National Water-Use Information Program) is responsible for compiling and disseminating the nation's water-use data. Established by USGS in 1978, the USGS National Water-Use Science Project built on the legacy of the Estimated Use of Water in the United States report series, begun in 1950 and produced every 5 years.
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program
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      The National Water-Use Science Project

      The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Use Science Project (formerly the National Water-Use Information Program) is responsible for compiling and disseminating the nation's water-use data. Established by USGS in 1978, the USGS National Water-Use Science Project built on the legacy of the Estimated Use of Water in the United States report series, begun in 1950 and produced every 5 years.
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      Below are data or web applications associated with water use in the United States.

      Estimated Use of Water in the United States County-Level Data for 2015

      This dataset contains water-use estimates for 2015 that are aggregated to the county level in the United States. The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS's) National Water Use Science Project is responsible for compiling and disseminating the Nation's water-use data. Working in cooperation with local, State, and Federal agencies, the USGS has published an estimate of water use in the United States every
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      Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center

      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 salin
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center
      Filter Total Items: 22

      Summary of estimated water use in the United States in 2015

      A total of 322 Bgal/d of water withdrawals was reported for eight categories of use in the United States in 2015, which was 9 percent less than in 2010 (354 Bgal/d), and continued a declining trend since 2005. The decline in total withdrawals in 2015 primarily was caused by significant decreases (28.8 Bgal/d) in thermoelectric power, which accounted for 89 percent of the decrease in total withdraw
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Idaho Water Science Center

      Estimated use of water in the United States in 2010

      Water use in the United States in 2010 was estimated to be about 355 billion gallons per day (Bgal/d), which was 13 percent less than in 2005. The 2010 estimates put total withdrawals at the lowest level since before 1970. Freshwater withdrawals were 306 Bgal/d, or 86 percent of total withdrawals, and saline-water withdrawals were 48.3 Bgal/d, or 14 percent of total withdrawals. Fresh surface-wate
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Idaho Water Science Center

      Summary of estimated water use in the United States in 2010

      About 355,000 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water was withdrawn for use in the United States during 2010, a decline of 13 percent from 2005 and a substantial change from the level of about 400,000 Mgal/d reported from 1985 to 2005. Withdrawals for 2010 were lower than withdrawals estimated for 1970. Fresh surface-water withdrawals (230,000 Mgal/d) were almost 15 percent less than in 2005, an
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

      Withdrawal and consumption of water by thermoelectric power plants in the United States, 2010

      Estimates of water use at thermoelectric plants were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey based on linked heat and water budgets, and complement reported thermoelectric water withdrawals and consumption. The heat- and water-budget models produced withdrawal and consumption estimates, including thermodynamically plausible ranges of minimum and maximum withdrawal and consumption, for 1,290 water-
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program

      Summary of estimated water use in the United States in 2005

      About 410,000 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water was withdrawn for use in the United States during 2005. About 80 percent of the total (328,000 Mgal/d) withdrawal was from surface water, and about 82 percent of the surface water withdrawn was freshwater. The remaining 20 percent (82,600 Mgal/d) was withdrawn from groundwater, of which about 96 percent was freshwater. If withdrawals for ther
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program

      Estimated use of water in the United States in 2005

      Estimates of water use in the United States indicate that about 410 billion gallons per day (Bgal/d) were withdrawn in 2005 for all categories summarized in this report. This total is slightly less than the estimate for 2000, and about 5 percent less than total withdrawals in the peak year of 1980. Freshwater withdrawals in 2005 were 349 Bgal/d, or 85 percent of the total freshwater and saline-wat
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Kansas Water Science Center

      Estimated use of water in the United States in 2005

      Estimates of water use in the United States indicate that about 410 billion gallons per day (Bgal/d) were withdrawn in 2005 for all categories summarized in this report. This total is slightly less than the estimate for 2000, and about 5 percent less than total withdrawals in the peak year of 1980. Freshwater withdrawals in 2005 were 349 Bgal/d, or 85 percent of the total freshwater and saline-wat
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Kansas Water Science Center

      Estimated use of water in the United States in 2000

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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program

      Estimated use of water in the United States in 2000

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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program

      Estimated withdrawals from principal aquifers in the United States, 2000

      Fresh ground-water withdrawals from 66 principal aquifers in the United States were estimated for irrigation, public-supply, and self-supplied industrial water uses for the year 2000. Total ground-water withdrawals were 76,500 million gallons per day, or 85,800 thousand acre-feet per year for these three uses. Irrigation used the largest amount of ground water, 56,900 million gallons per day, foll
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      Water Resources

      Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2000

      Estimates of water use in the United States indicate that about 408 billion gallons per day (one thousand million gallons per day, abbreviated Bgal/d) were withdrawn for all uses during 2000. This total has varied less than 3 percent since 1985 as withdrawals have stabilized for the two largest uses?thermoelectric power and irrigation. Fresh ground-water withdrawals (83.3 Bgal/d) during 2000 were
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program

      Estimated use of water in the United States in 1995

      The purpose of this report is to present consistent and current water-use estimates by state and water-resources region for the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. Estimates of water withdrawn from surface- and ground-water sources, estimates of consumptive use, and estimates of instream use and wastewater releases during 1995 are presented in this re
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      Water Resources, Water Availability and Use Science Program