Nationwide Water Consumption Stable
Despite growing population and increasing electricity production, water use across the United States remains fairly stable, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
A new USGS report finds that in 2000, Americans used 408 billion gallons of water per day, a number that has remained fairly stable since 1985. The nation’s peak recorded water usage came in 1980 when the U.S. used 440 billion gallons.
Personal water use is rising, the USGS says, but not faster than population change. The average American uses some 100 gallons of water a day.
“It is pretty good news for the nation that despite the increasing need for water, we have been able to maintain our consumption at fairly stable levels for the past 15 years,” said USGS Chief Hydrologist Robert Hirsch. “It shows that advances in technology in irrigation and power generation allow us to do more with less water.”
In the report, “Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2000,” USGS researchers found that the chief U.S. water users are electric power generation, agriculture and public water supply.
Power generators make up 48 percent of the usage and irrigation accounts for 34 percent.
Public supply, which delivers water to homes, businesses, and industries, accounts for 11 percent of daily water usage – it has increased from 34 billion gallons in 1980 to 43 billion gallons in 2000.
Self-supplied industrial users, livestock, mining, aquaculture and domestic wells – all combined – account for about seven percent of the nation’s daily water usage.
Freshwater withdrawals were 85 percent of the total, and the remaining 15 percent was saline water.
Estimates of withdrawals by source indicate that for 2000, total surface-water withdrawals were 79 percent of the total withdrawals for all categories of use and some 81 percent of surface water withdrawn was freshwater.
Compared to 1985, the nation is using 14 percent more groundwater and about two percent less surface water, according to the report.
“Sound planning for water depends on a sound understanding of the nation’s water resources and a sound understanding of how people will use water in the future,” Hirsch said.
“This study will help the public, decision makers, engineers and scientists better understand water use,” Hirsch said. In addition, it will “aid in the development of long term national water policy and ensure that information is available to take proper steps now to ensure water availability for future generations of Americans.”
Provided by the Environmental News Service.
