Groundwater Use in the United States Completed
Groundwater Use in the U.S.
Groundwater is one of our most valuable resource—even though you probably never see it or even realize it is there. Groundwater is essential for irrigation and human use in many parts of the country. The use of groundwater in the United States in 2015 is described below.
• Water Science School HOME • Groundwater topics • Water Use topics •
Groundwater serves many purposes
Fresh groundwater was used for many important purposes, with the largest amount going toward irrigating crops, such as the delicious eggplants, squash, and rutabagas that children love to have for dinner. Local city and county water departments withdraw a lot of groundwater for public uses, such as for delivery to homes, businesses, and industries, as well as for community uses such as fire fighting, water services at public buildings, and for keeping local residents happy by keeping community swimming pools full of water. Industries and mining facilities also used a lot of groundwater. The majority of water used for self-supplied domestic (people who supply their own home water, usually by a well) and livestock purposes came from groundwater sources.
This diagram uses a "cylinder and pipe" layout to show the source (surface water or groundwater) of the Nation's freshwater and for what purposes the water was used in 2015. The data are broken out for each category of use by surface water and groundwater as the source.
Data are rounded and are reported in million gallons per day (Mgal/d).
The top row of cylinders represents where America's freshwater came from (source) in 2015, either from surface water (blue) or from groundwater (brown). You can see most of the water we use came from surface-water sources, such as rivers and lakes. About 26 percent of water used came from groundwater. The pipes leading out of the surface-water and groundwater cylinders on the top row and flowing into the bottom rows of cylinders (green) show the categories of water use where the water was sent after being withdrawn from a river, lake, reservoir, or well.
For example, the blue pipe coming out of the surface-water cylinder and entering the public supply cylinder shows that 23,800 Mgal/d of water was withdrawn from surface-water sources for public-supply uses (you probably get your water this way). Likewise, the brown pipe shows that public-suppliers withdrew another 15,200 Mgal/d of water from groundwater sources.
Each green cylinder represents a category of water use. The industrial cylinder, for instance, shows how much groundwater, surface water, and total water was used in the United States, each day, by industries.
You can see that although the Nation uses much more surface water than groundwater, groundwater has significant importance for some of the categories. Almost all self-supplied domestic water came from groundwater; over 40 percent of irrigation water was groundwater; and more groundwater than surface water was used for livestock purposes.
Groundwater withdrawals, by State, 2015
Of the total fresh groundwater withdrawals nationwide (82,300 Mgal/d), irrigation accounted for 70 percent, primarily in California, Arkansas, Nebraska, Idaho, and Texas. Fresh groundwater irrigation withdrawals in these five States cumulatively accounted for 46 percent of the total fresh groundwater withdrawals for all categories nationwide. Nearly all groundwater withdrawals (97 percent) were from freshwater, predominantly used for irrigation. Saline groundwater withdrawals were predominantly used for mining (80 percent) and occurred in Texas, California, and Oklahoma. Irrigation used greater than three times more fresh groundwater than public supply, which was the next largest use of fresh groundwater in the Nation.
Groundwater withdrawals for the United States, 1950-2015. (Data are in billion gallons per day (Bgal/d)
Year | Fresh | Saline |
1950 | 34 | (c) |
1955 | 47 | 0.6 |
1960 | 50 | 0.4 |
1965 | 60 | 0.5 |
1970 | 68 | 1 |
1975 | 82 | 1 |
1980 | 83 | 0.93 |
1985 | 73.4 | 0.66 |
1990 | 79.4 | 1.30a |
1995 | 76.4a | 1.11 |
2000 | 84.3a | 2.47a |
2005 | 78.9 | 1.51 |
2010 | 75.9a | 2.22a |
2015 | 82.3 | 2.34 |
a Data revised from Maupin and others (2014) because of revisions to individual State data during interim years
(c) Data not available
Want to learn more about groundwater use in the United States? Follow me to the USGS Groundwater Use website!
Below are science topics related to groundwater use.
Freshwater Withdrawals in the United States
Mining Water Use
Artesian Water and Artesian Wells
Contamination in U.S. Private Wells
Drought and Groundwater Levels
Groundwater Decline and Depletion
Below are multimedia items associated with groundwater use.
Below are publications related to groundwater use.
Estimated use of water in the United States in 2015
- Overview
Groundwater is one of our most valuable resource—even though you probably never see it or even realize it is there. Groundwater is essential for irrigation and human use in many parts of the country. The use of groundwater in the United States in 2015 is described below.
• Water Science School HOME • Groundwater topics • Water Use topics •
Groundwater serves many purposes
Fresh groundwater was used for many important purposes, with the largest amount going toward irrigating crops, such as the delicious eggplants, squash, and rutabagas that children love to have for dinner. Local city and county water departments withdraw a lot of groundwater for public uses, such as for delivery to homes, businesses, and industries, as well as for community uses such as fire fighting, water services at public buildings, and for keeping local residents happy by keeping community swimming pools full of water. Industries and mining facilities also used a lot of groundwater. The majority of water used for self-supplied domestic (people who supply their own home water, usually by a well) and livestock purposes came from groundwater sources.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsThis diagram uses a "cylinder and pipe" layout to show the source (surface water or groundwater) of the Nation's freshwater and for what purposes the water was used in 2015. The data are broken out for each category of use by surface water and groundwater as the source.
Data are rounded and are reported in million gallons per day (Mgal/d).
The top row of cylinders represents where America's freshwater came from (source) in 2015, either from surface water (blue) or from groundwater (brown). You can see most of the water we use came from surface-water sources, such as rivers and lakes. About 26 percent of water used came from groundwater. The pipes leading out of the surface-water and groundwater cylinders on the top row and flowing into the bottom rows of cylinders (green) show the categories of water use where the water was sent after being withdrawn from a river, lake, reservoir, or well.
For example, the blue pipe coming out of the surface-water cylinder and entering the public supply cylinder shows that 23,800 Mgal/d of water was withdrawn from surface-water sources for public-supply uses (you probably get your water this way). Likewise, the brown pipe shows that public-suppliers withdrew another 15,200 Mgal/d of water from groundwater sources.
Each green cylinder represents a category of water use. The industrial cylinder, for instance, shows how much groundwater, surface water, and total water was used in the United States, each day, by industries.
You can see that although the Nation uses much more surface water than groundwater, groundwater has significant importance for some of the categories. Almost all self-supplied domestic water came from groundwater; over 40 percent of irrigation water was groundwater; and more groundwater than surface water was used for livestock purposes.
Groundwater withdrawals, by State, 2015
Of the total fresh groundwater withdrawals nationwide (82,300 Mgal/d), irrigation accounted for 70 percent, primarily in California, Arkansas, Nebraska, Idaho, and Texas. Fresh groundwater irrigation withdrawals in these five States cumulatively accounted for 46 percent of the total fresh groundwater withdrawals for all categories nationwide. Nearly all groundwater withdrawals (97 percent) were from freshwater, predominantly used for irrigation. Saline groundwater withdrawals were predominantly used for mining (80 percent) and occurred in Texas, California, and Oklahoma. Irrigation used greater than three times more fresh groundwater than public supply, which was the next largest use of fresh groundwater in the Nation.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsSources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsGroundwater withdrawals for the United States, 1950-2015. (Data are in billion gallons per day (Bgal/d)
Year Fresh Saline 1950 34 (c) 1955 47 0.6 1960 50 0.4 1965 60 0.5 1970 68 1 1975 82 1 1980 83 0.93 1985 73.4 0.66 1990 79.4 1.30a 1995 76.4a 1.11 2000 84.3a 2.47a 2005 78.9 1.51 2010 75.9a 2.22a 2015 82.3 2.34
a Data revised from Maupin and others (2014) because of revisions to individual State data during interim years
(c) Data not availableSources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsWant to learn more about groundwater use in the United States? Follow me to the USGS Groundwater Use website!
- Science
Below are science topics related to groundwater use.
Freshwater Withdrawals in the United States
The freshwater in the Nation's rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, reservoirs, and in underground aquifers are vitally important to our everyday life, and, indeed, to all life on Earth.Filter Total Items: 17Mining Water Use
Like all other industries, mining corporations need water to make bare rock give up its valuable minerals.Artesian Water and Artesian Wells
Artesian water is really not different from other groundwater, except for the fact that it flows to the land surface because pressure in the rocks underground force it to the surface. But, having water flow to the surface naturally is a handy way to tap groundwater resources.Contamination in U.S. Private Wells
Groundwater is crucial to millions of Americans as well as many more worldwide. Groundwater provides drinking water to many. Thus, having reliably clean groundwater is of concern for many throughout the world. But, groundwater can become contaminated with chemicals, biologic organisms, and other possibly-harmful agents.Drought and Groundwater Levels
Groundwater decline is a real and serious problem in many places of the Nation and the world. When rainfall is less than normal for several weeks, months, or years, the flow of streams and rivers declines, water levels in lakes and reservoirs fall, and the depth to water in wells increases.Groundwater Decline and Depletion
Groundwater is a valuable resource both in the United States and throughout the world. Groundwater depletion, a term often defined as long-term water-level declines caused by sustained groundwater pumping, is a key issue associated with groundwater use. Many areas of the United States are experiencing groundwater depletion. - Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with groundwater use.
- Publications
Below are publications related to groundwater use.
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. Linsey