Estimated water use, by county, in North Carolina, 1990

Data on water use in North Carolina were compiled for 1990 as part of a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Division of Water Resources of the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources. Data were compiled from a number of Federal, State, and private sources for the offstream water-use categories of public supply, domestic, commercial, industrial, mining, livestock, irrigation, and thermoelectric-power generation. Data also were collected for instream use from hydroelectric facilities.

Total estimated offstream water use in the State for 1990 was about 8,940 million gallons per day. About 95 percent of the water withdrawn was from surface-water sources. Thermoelectric-power generation accounted for about 81 percent of all withdrawals. Data for instream water use for hydroelectric-power generation also were compiled. This instream water use totaled about 66,900 million gallons per day. eAch water-use category is summarized in this report by county and source of water supply.