U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Circular 1405

Estimated Use of Water in 

the United States in 2010
A

E

F

G

H

I

B

C

D

Front cover. Photo collage of water use and supply. A, Watts Bar Nuclear Powerplant, 

Rhea County, Tennessee (photo by Alan Cressler, USGS). B, Student with trout at the Aquaculture 

Research Institute, Hagerman, Idaho (photo from University of Idaho, used with permission). 

C, Center-pivot irrigation, Mitchell County, Georgia (photo by Alan Cressler, USGS). D, Windmill 

on Pawnee Butte Grasslands (photo by Ray Klocek, used with permission). E, Water tower in 

Council, Idaho, Adams County (photo by Justin Woody, used with permission). F, Pulp mill, 

Wayne County, Georiga (photo by Alan Cressler, USGS). G, Sheep at water trough on the open 

range (photo by Saeid Tadayon, USGS). H, Bingham Canyon Mine, Salt Lake County, Utah (photo 

by Alan Cressler, USGS). I, Domestic water use in the kitchen (photo from Wikimedia Commons).
Estimated Use of Water in

the United States in 2010

By Molly A. Maupin, Joan F. Kenny, Susan S. Hutson, 

John K. Lovelace, Nancy L. Barber, and Kristin S. Linsey 

Circular 1405

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2014

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Suggested citation:

Maupin, M.A., Kenny, J.F., Hutson, S.S., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2014, Estimated use of water 

in the United States in 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1405, 56 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/cir1405.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Maupin, Molly A., author.

 Estimated use of water in the United States in 2010 / by Molly A. Maupin, Joan F. Kenny, Susan S. Hutson, 

John K. Lovelace, Nancy L. Barber, and Kristin S. Linsey.

 pages cm. -- (Circular ; 1405)

 Includes bibliographical references.

 ISBN 978-1-4113-3862-3 (pbk. : alk. paper)

 1. Water consumption--United States. I. Kenny, J. F., author. II. Hutson, Susan S., author. III. Lovelace, John K., 

author. IV. Barber, Nancy L., author. V. Linsey, Kristin S., author. VI. Geological Survey (U.S.), issuing body. VII. Title. 

VIII. Series: U.S. Geological Survey circular ; 1405.

 TD223.M365 2015

 333.91’130973--dc23

 2014041921

ISSN 1067-084X (Print) 

ISSN 2330-5703 (Online)
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................2

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................4

Terminology Used in This Report .......................................................................................................4

Changes for the 2010 Report...............................................................................................................5

Sources of Data and Methods of Analysis.......................................................................................5

Total Water Use..............................................................................................................................................7

Public Supply................................................................................................................................................18

Domestic........................................................................................................................................................21

Irrigation........................................................................................................................................................25

Livestock........................................................................................................................................................28

Aquaculture ..................................................................................................................................................31

Industrial........................................................................................................................................................34

Mining ...........................................................................................................................................................37

Thermoelectric Power................................................................................................................................40

Trends in Water Use, 1950–2010 ...............................................................................................................44

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................48

Glossary.........................................................................................................................................................49

Cooperating Agencies and Organizations...............................................................................................52

Acknowledgments

This national compilation of water use would not be possible without the assistance and data 

provided by the many State and local agencies that manage water resources, operate datacollection programs, and administer regulations for use of water and other natural resources. 

The agencies and other organizations that provided assistance are listed for each State at the 

end of this report. The authors also gratefully acknowledge the USGS personnel in each State 

who compiled the data for this report.
iv

Conversion Factors

Multiply By To obtain

Area

acre 4,047 square meter (m2

)

acre 0.4047 hectare (ha)

acre 0.001562 square mile (mi2

)

Volume

acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter (m3

)

acre-foot (acre-ft) 325,851 gallon (gal)

acre-foot (acre-ft) 43,560 cubic foot (ft3

)

cubic foot (ft3

) 7.48 gallon (gal)

gallon (gal) 3.785 liter (L) 

gallon (gal) 3.785 cubic decimeter (dm3

) 

million gallons (Mgal) 3,785 cubic meter (m3

)

million gallons (Mgal) 3.07 acre-foot (acre-ft)

Flow rate

acre-foot per year (acre-ft/yr) 1,233 cubic meter per year (m3

/yr)

billion gallons per day (Bgal/d) 1.3815 billion cubic meters per year

gallon per day (gal/d) 3.785 liter per day (L/d)

million gallons per day (Mgal/d) 0.04381 cubic meter per second (m3

/s)

million gallons per day (Mgal/d) 1.547 cubic foot per second (ft3

/sec)

million gallons per day (Mgal/d) 1.121 thousand acre-feet per year 

(acre-ft/yr)

million gallons per day (Mgal/d) 1.3815 million cubic meters per year

thousand acre-feet per year (acre-ft/yr) 0.8921 million gallons per day (Mgal/d)

Energy

gigawatt-hour (gWh) 3,600,000 Megajoule (MJ)

kilowatt-hour (kWh) 3,600,000 joule (J)

Abbreviations

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

NWC National Water Census

NWUIP National Water Use Information Program

SDWIS Safe Drinking Water Information System

SECURE Science and Engineering to Comprehensively Understand and Responsibly Enhance

USDA ARS U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service

USDA NASS U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service

USDA NRCS U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

USDOE EIA U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration

USGS U.S. Geological Survey
Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

By Molly A. Maupin, Joan F. Kenny, Susan S. Hutson, John K. Lovelace,

Nancy L. Barber, and Kristin S. Linsey 

Abstract

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-water 

withdrawals (230 Bgal/d) were almost 15 percent less than 

in 2005, and fresh groundwater withdrawals (76.0 Bgal/d) 

were about 4 percent less than in 2005. Saline surface-water 

withdrawals were 45.0 Bgal/d, or 24 percent less than in 2005. 

Updates to the 2005 saline groundwater withdrawals, mostly 

for thermoelectric power, reduced total saline groundwater 

withdrawals to 1.51 Bgal/d, down from the originally reported 

3.02 Bgal/d. Total saline groundwater withdrawals in 2010 

were 3.29 Bgal/d, mostly for mining use. 

Thermoelectric power and irrigation remained the two 

largest uses of water in 2010, and total withdrawals for both 

were notably less than in 2005. Withdrawals in 2010 for 

thermoelectric power were 20 percent less and withdrawals 

for irrigation were 9 percent less than in 2005. Similarly, other 

uses showed reductions compared to 2005, specifically public 

supply (–5 percent), self-supplied domestic (–3 percent), selfsupplied industrial (–12 percent), and livestock (–7 percent). 

Only mining (39 percent) and aquaculture (7 percent) reported 

larger withdrawals in 2010 compared to 2005. Thermoelectric 

power, irrigation, and public-supply withdrawals accounted 

for 90 percent of total withdrawals in 2010.

Withdrawals for thermoelectric power were 161 Bgal/d 

in 2010 and represented the lowest levels since before 1970. 

Surface-water withdrawals accounted for more than 99 percent 

of total thermoelectric-power withdrawals, and 73 percent 

of those surface-water withdrawals were from freshwater 

sources. Saline surface-water withdrawals for thermoelectric 

power accounted for 97 percent of total saline surface-water 

withdrawals for all uses. Thermoelectric-power withdrawals 

accounted for 45 percent of total withdrawals for all uses, and 

freshwater withdrawals for thermoelectric power accounted 

for 38 percent of the total freshwater withdrawals for all uses.

Irrigation withdrawals were 115 Bgal/d in 2010 and 

represented the lowest levels since before 1965. Irrigation 

withdrawals, all freshwater, accounted for 38 percent of total 

freshwater withdrawals for all uses, or 61 percent of total 

freshwater withdrawals for all uses excluding thermoelectric 

power. Surface-water withdrawals (65.9 Bgal/d) accounted 

for 57 percent of the total irrigation withdrawals, or about 

12 percent less than in 2005. Groundwater withdrawals were 

49.5 Bgal/d in 2010, about 6 percent less than in 2005. About 

62,400 thousand acres were irrigated in 2010, an increase from 

2005 of about 950 thousand acres (1.5 percent). The number 

of acres irrigated using sprinkler and microirrigation systems 

continued to increase and accounted for 58 percent of the total 

irrigated lands in 2010.

Public-supply withdrawals in 2010 were 42.0 Bgal/d, or 

5 percent less than in 2005, and represented the first declines 

in public-supply withdrawals since the 5-year reporting began 

in 1950. Total population in the United States increased 

from 300.7 million people in 2005 to 313.0 million people 

in 2010, an increase of 4 percent. Public-supply withdrawals 

accounted for 14 percent of the total freshwater withdrawals 

for all uses and 22 percent of freshwater withdrawals for all 

uses excluding thermoelectric power. The number of people 

that received potable water from public-supply facilities in 

2010 was 268 million, or about 86 percent of the total U.S. 

population. This percentage was unchanged from 2005. Selfsupplied domestic withdrawals were 3.60 Bgal/d, or 3 percent 

less than in 2005. More than 98 percent of the self-supplied 

domestic withdrawals were from groundwater sources. 

Self-supplied industrial withdrawals were 15.9 Bgal/d 

in 2010, a 12 percent decline from 2005, and continued the 

downward trend since the peak of 47 Bgal/d in 1970. Total 

self-supplied industrial withdrawals were 4 percent of total 

withdrawals for all uses and 8 percent of total withdrawals 

for all uses excluding thermoelectric power. Most of the total 
2 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

self-supplied industrial withdrawals were from surface-water 

sources (82 percent), and nearly all (93 percent) of those 

surface-water withdrawals were from freshwater sources. 

Nearly all of the groundwater withdrawals for self-supplied 

industrial use (98 percent) were from freshwater sources.

Total aquaculture withdrawals were 9.42 Bgal/d in 2010, 

or 7 percent more than in 2005, and surface water was the 

primary source (81 percent). Most of the surface-water 

withdrawals occurred at facilities that operated flowthrough 

raceways, which returned the water to the source directly 

after use. Aquaculture withdrawals accounted for 3 percent 

of the total withdrawals for all uses and 5 percent of the 

total withdrawals for all uses excluding thermoelectric. 

Total mining withdrawals in 2010 were 5.32 Bgal/d, 

or about 1 percent of total withdrawals from all uses and 

3 percent of total withdrawals from all uses excluding 

thermoelectric. Mining withdrawals accounted for the largest 

percentage increase (39 percent) in water use between 2005 

and 2010 among all the categories. Groundwater withdrawals 

accounted for 73 percent of the total mining withdrawals, 

and the majority of the groundwater was saline (71 percent). 

The majority (80 percent) of surface-water withdrawals for 

mining was freshwater. 

Livestock withdrawals in 2010 were 2.00 Bgal/d, or 

7 percent less than in 2005. All livestock withdrawals 

were from freshwater sources, mostly from groundwater 

(60 percent). Livestock withdrawals accounted for about 

1 percent of total freshwater withdrawals for all uses 

excluding thermoelectric power. 

In 2010, more than 50 percent of the total withdrawals in 

the United States were accounted for by 12 States. California 

accounted for about 11 percent of the total withdrawals 

and 10 percent of freshwater withdrawals in the United 

States, predominantly for irrigation. Texas accounted for 

about 7 percent of total withdrawals, predominantly for 

thermoelectric power, irrigation, and public supply. Florida 

accounted for 18 percent of the total saline-water withdrawals 

in the United States, mostly from surface-water sources for 

thermoelectric power. Oklahoma and Texas accounted for 

about 70 percent of the total saline groundwater withdrawals 

in the United States, mostly for mining.

Introduction

This report, “Estimated use of water in the United States 

in 2010,” is the 13th in a series of U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) Circular reports that have been published every 

5 years since 1950. The 60-year span of national reports 

represents the longest compilation record of water-use 

data by a Federal agency in the United States. Estimates of 

withdrawals enable the depiction of trends in total water use 

for the Nation among different geographic areas, categories 

of use, and sources over time. The USGS is dedicated to 

providing reliable scientific information that accurately 

describes current and historic conditions and enables a 

better understanding of the Earth’s precious water resources. 

Water-use information complements and supports surfacewater and groundwater availability studies and water budgets 

that are critical to these studies. This information is also 

essential to accurately understand how future water demands 

will be met while maintaining adequate water quality and 

quantities for human and ecosystem needs. 

The National Water Use Information Program (NWUIP) 

is the USGS program (http://water.usgs.gov/watuse/) that 

facilitates the 5-year compilation of water use and over 

time has met various challenges in estimating water use 

in the United States. The program, however, has reduced 

some data collections over time to address limitations of 

available resources for analysis and limitations of capabilities for accurate interpolations. The National Water Census 

(NWC) is a recent USGS program, implemented as part of 

the SECURE (Science and Engineering to Comprehensively 

Understand and Responsibly Enhance) Water Act 

(Subtitle F of Public Law 111–11, the Omnibus Public Land 

Management Act) to study national water availability and 

use by integrating diverse research and building new water 

accounting tools, such as decision support capacity. These 

tools and research are designed to enable water managers to 

accurately assess water availability at regional and national 

scales (http://water.usgs.gov/watercensus/). To meet NWC 

goals of building water budget assessments at regional and 

national scales, accurate and complete water-use estimates 

are necessary. The NWUIP is working closely with the NWC 

to provide water-use data for accurate water budget assessments in the NWC study areas. To meet these goals, several 

water-use specific research studies supported by the NWC 

were begun, some are completed, and some are ongoing. 

Each study specifically addresses a water-use data collection challenge, such as improvement in the dissemination of 

information on data inventories, collection of more accurate 

information, use of better methods for analysis, and upgrade 

of data dissemination tools. 

NWC-supported projects with direct relevance to water 

use were conducted concurrently with the NWUIP 2010 

compilation efforts and focused on the three largest categories of water use, irrigation, thermoelectric power, and public 

supply. For irrigation water use, methods and documentation were synthesized into a national report using the 2000 

and 2005 compilation data and suggested improved estimation methods (Dickens and others, 2011). Additionally, 

methods were developed to assist in estimating irrigation 

water use in humid Eastern States, using two predictive 

models that use climate, soils, and crop data to explain the 

potential for irrigation (Levin and Zarriello, 2013). For 

thermoelectric power, linked heat and water budget models 

were developed for 1,290 thermoelectric powerplants in 

the United States (Diehl and others, 2013). This project 

entailed a indepth inventory of powerplants and associated 

information. Data from this project considerably improved 
The Boise River Diversion Dam in Ada County, Idaho, was completed in 1909 and diverts water into the New York Canal, the 

primary irrigation canal for Ada and Canyon Counties. Photo by Jeff Woody, used with permission.

Introduction 3

the NWUIP understanding of the cooling systems used at 

individual powerplants as well as provided a more complete 

inventory of powerplant locations and net power generation. 

On the basis of the water budget models, Diehl and Harris 

(2014) reported powerplant-specific estimates of withdrawals and consumptive use. For public supply, the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided a publicsupply dataset from the Safe Drinking Water Information 

System (SDWIS). These data included site-specific well, 

surface-water intake, and distribution-system information, which was filtered through a USGS database (Price 

and Maupin, 2014) and enhanced for quality control using 

associated USGS data. These data were disseminated as State 

datasets to each USGS Water Science Center to help construct 

a site-specific database capable of storing public-supply withdrawal, distribution, use, and return data for each State. 

Data dissemination capabilities and data-collection efforts 

have improved over the course of each 5-year compilation. 

The online resource, “USGS Water Use Data for the Nation” 

(http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/wu), provides the best available county water-use data (1985–2010). These county-level 

estimates are the foundation for the statewide totals presented 

in each 5-year compilation report and are stored, updated, and 

disseminated using the USGS National Water Information 

System (NWIS) database. Data are retrievable as county, State, 

and national totals for each category of use as reported in the 

5-year compilation reports. Because data are updated periodically and revised during interim years, the Web site will enable 

quick and easy access to the most current water-use data. 

Factors such as demographics, new manufacturing and 

cooling-system technologies, economic trends, legal decisions, 

and climatic fluctuations have varying effects on water use. 

Between 2000 and 2010, population growth in the U.S. 

was 9.7 percent, lower than the 13.2 percent growth for the 

1990–2000 period (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). More population growth was recorded in Southern and Western States 

(14.3 and 13.8 percent, respectively) between 2000 and 2010 

compared to Midwestern States (3.9 percent) and Northeastern 

States (3.2 percent). Southern and Western States accounted 

for more than 84 percent of the total U.S. population growth 

from 2000 to 2010. Population growth puts additional pressure 

on existing public utilities and increases demand on sometimes already limited water supplies. In parts of the United 

States, communities have sought additional water sources or 

instituted water-conservation measures to meet increasing 

demands. New cooling-system technologies and wastewater 

management practices at thermoelectric powerplants and 

industrial facilities are examples of water-saving practices that 

are being implemented. Powerplants have reduced the demand 

for cooling water by implementing more efficient cooling 

systems, such as changing to recirculating systems or building 

new plants with dry-cooling systems. Industrial facilities are 
4 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

using more efficient water-conserving manufacturing technologies, driven by higher costs for water and energy. Industrial 

manufacturing has declined with more goods being produced 

outside of the United States. Increases in industrial reuse and 

recycling of wastewater help to reduce withdrawals from the 

available resources and treated discharges to surface waters 

over time.

Climate fluctuations affect water use, particularly for 

irrigation, power generation, and public supply. In 2010, 

the contiguous United States (CONUS) experienced 

average annual air temperatures slightly above normal 

and precipitation above the long-term average. An abnormally cold winter with abundant moisture resulted in 

record-breaking precipitation in the East and Northeast for 

December–February. While the East enjoyed an abnormally 

warm spring, the Western United States experienced below 

normal temperatures. The summer of 2010 was the fourth 

warmest on record for the CONUS, but was the ninth wettest 

in 116 years in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. The 

West and Southeast had below-normal precipitation during 

the summer. The fall of 2010 was warmer than normal, 

but the Upper Midwest and Northeast continued to receive 

above-average precipitation, while Florida suffered through 

the second driest September–November period on record 

(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National 

Climatic Data Center, 2010).

Cooling-system technology in thermoelectric powerplants has dramatically improved in recent years, causing 

large changes in withdrawals between 2005 and 2010. 

Improvements driven by the Clean Water Act and other 

economic factors have changed the way industrial facilities 

use, reuse, and recycle water, resulting in reduced discharges 

to wastewater-treatment plants or surface-water bodies. 

Cooling water is essential for producing most of the thermoelectric power in the United States, and an increase in electric 

energy use has resulted in additional demands for water. 

Limitations on water supplies have led to the use of less 

water-intensive cooling technologies for producing thermoelectric power in newer powerplants. 

Purpose and Scope

This report presents average daily withdrawals (in millions 

of gallons per day) for calendar year 2010, by source (groundwater and surface water) and quality (fresh and saline) for 

the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 

the U.S. Virgin Islands (hereafter referred to as “States” for 

brevity). Withdrawals are reported by category of use: public 

supply, domestic (including self-supplied domestic and 

deliveries from public supply), irrigation, livestock, aquaculture, self-supplied industrial (referred to as “industrial” 

for brevity), mining, and self-supplied thermoelectric power 

(referred to as “thermoelectric power” for brevity). Saline 

water is defined as water containing dissolved solids of 

1,000 milligrams per liter or more. All withdrawals for the 

public supply, domestic, irrigation, and livestock categories 

are reported as totals, although in some areas water is treated 

to reduce salinity for these uses. Aquaculture totals include 

a small amount of saline surface-water withdrawals for 

two States. Both freshwater and saline-water withdrawals 

are reported for industrial, mining, and thermoelectricpower uses. 

The series of 5-year national water-use estimates compiled 

by the USGS serves as one of the few sources of information 

about regional and national trends in water withdrawals. 

These historical reports (MacKichan, 1951, 1957; MacKichan 

and Kammerer, 1961; Murray, 1968; Murray and Reeves, 

1972, 1977; Solley and others, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998; 

Hutson and others, 2004, Kenny and others, 2009) are available online at http://water.usgs.gov/watuse/50years.html. 

Statewide data between 1950 and 2010 produced for the 

5-year national water-use estimates are available online at 

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/wu/. County-level data are 

available only for 1985–2010 from the same Web site

Terminology Used in This Report

A glossary of the terms and units used in this report is 

located at the end of the report and is available online at 

http://water.usgs.gov/watuse/wuglossary.html. Terms and 

units depicting withdrawals and ancillary data for the 5-year 

compilations have not changed since 2000. Withdrawal for 

each category of use represents the total amount of water 

removed from the water source for a particular use, regardless 

of how much of that total is consumptively used or returned 

to the hydrologic system for future use. In most cases, some 

fraction of the total withdrawal will be returned to a water 

source after use and will be available for other subsequent 

uses. Consumptive use, however, precludes the subsequent 

withdrawal for another use, at least temporarily, because it 

represents that fraction of water that is removed from availability due to evaporation, transpiration, or incorporation 

into products or crop, or consumed by livestock or human. 

Estimates of return flows and consumptive use were discontinued after 1995, primarily because of resource and data 

constraints on the USGS National Water Use Information 

Program (NWUIP). Recent efforts by other programs in 

coordination with NWUIP have been implemented to 

reinstate the consumptive-use estimates for thermoelectric 

power and irrigation, but those data are not included in this 

report. Estimates of wastewater reuse were compiled by some 

States for the industrial, thermoelectric power, and irrigation 

categories, but these estimates were not included in the totals 

reported in tables in this report because of the small volumes 

of water compared to the totals and the incomplete reporting 

across the Nation.

Withdrawals are expressed in terms of millions of gallons 

per day and thousands of acre-feet per year. The term billions 
Fountain water display, Meridian, Idaho. Photo by Molly Maupin, USGS.

of gallons per day is 

used in the Abstract and 

Trends in Water Use 

sections of this report 

to more simply express 

large numbers for total 

uses. Units of millions 

or billions of gallons 

per day do not represent actual daily rates, 

but rather are used to 

express total amounts 

as an average daily 

rate over a single year. 

Water demands fluctuate 

seasonally and may be 

very different between 

hot summer months and 

cold winter months. 

Therefore, withdrawal 

estimates in this report 

represent the total annual 

withdrawals averaged 

over 365 days.

Withdrawals are 

rounded to three significant figures. All values 

are rounded independently, so the sums 

of individual rounded 

numbers may not equal 

the totals. The percentage 

of changes discussed 

in the text are calculated 

from the unrounded data and are expressed as integers. All 

population data are rounded to three significant figures. In 

discussions of States that compose the majority of withdrawals 

for a given category, the State names are listed in order of 

decreasing magnitude of withdrawals. 

Changes for the 2010 Report

A matrix showing the different categories of use and how 

the terminology has changed over time is available online at 

http://water.usgs.gov/watuse/WU-Category-Changes.html. 

Links to definitions of water-use categories are included in the 

matrix. This report includes the same categories of use that 

were reported in 2005, and every category of use includes data 

from every State. Some States may have compiled their estimates for livestock, aquaculture, or mining categories by using 

methods described by Lovelace (2009a, b). Similarly, some 

States may have compiled their estimates for thermoelectric 

power by using methods derived from Diehl and others 

(2013). Data from the NWC-supported thermoelectric-power 

study represent a substantial change in how data reported 

by Energy Information 

Administration (EIA) 

were used to estimate 

thermoelectric-power 

withdrawals. As in 2005, 

deliveries from public 

supply for domestic use 

were again compiled in 

2010, but public-supply 

deliveries for commercial, industrial, and 

thermoelectric-power 

uses were not. Data were 

not compiled for hydrologic units (watersheds). 

Data were not compiled 

for commercial water 

use, hydroelectric-power 

generation, wastewater 

treatment (returns), 

consumptive use by category of use, and conveyance losses. Some of 

these additional data may 

have been collected by 

individual States but are 

not compiled as a national 

dataset or included in 

this report. 

The Trends in Water 

Use section of this report 

includes national totals 

for withdrawals by 

category of use and source 

of water from 1950 to 2010. Totals have changed for some 

categories and years because of revisions to individual State 

data during interim years. Because of these revisions, some of 

the percentage changes in this report will be slightly different 

from data published previously by Kenny and others (2009).

Sources of Data and Methods of Analysis

Data presented in this report were compiled from various 

sources, depending on the category of use and the information 

available for each State. USGS personnel in each State determined the best sources of information available, then compiled 

or estimated the data and prepared documentation of the 

sources and methods used to determine the water use totals. 

Data in this report may have been derived from reported, 

estimated, or calculated means using different sources and 

methods and, therefore, will have varying levels of accuracy. 

Because the largest users and the most prominent categories 

of use within each State have the greatest effect on the totals, 

obtaining reliable information for these large users and categories was the primary focus of the compilation effort. 

Introduction 5
Cabbage field in Wellton Valley, Yuma County, Arizona. Photo by Saeid Tadayon, USGS.

6 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Sources of information used in the compilation include 

national datasets, State agency data, individual questionnaires, 

and local contacts. National datasets available to each State 

include the EPA SDWIS data (U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, 2014), U.S. Census Bureau population estimates 

(U.S. Census Bureau, 2011), U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey, USDA Census of 

Agriculture, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 

(NASS) crop and livestock estimates, including digital 

datasets derived from satellite imagery (Cropland Data 

Layer) for 2010, with associated confidence interval datasets, and U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) EIA facility 

reports. Additional data for thermoelectric power, specifically 

locations and cooling-system classifications for powerplants, 

were provided from internal USGS sources (Diehl and others, 

2013) using USDOE and project ancillary data. A list of 

industrial and commercial establishments was provided to 

USGS personnel from a commercial database for use in the 

industrial estimates. Datasets and sources of information used 

to produce the national estimates for the livestock, aquaculture, and mining categories include the USDA NASS, 

USDA county extension agents, USGS Minerals Information 

Team, USDOE EIA, and the U.S. Bureau of Mines. Sources 

of information are discussed in greater detail in the individual 

category sections of this report.

Many of these data, such as those from NASS and 

USDOE EIA, are collected annually. Other data are provided 

for years other than 2010, but were used to develop the 

2010 estimates in some States because they were the most 

complete data available. For example, the USDA Census of 

Agriculture is produced in years ending in 2 and 7, and the 

USDA Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey is produced in 

years ending in 3 and 8. Correlation of water-use data in this 

report with specific climatic conditions for 2010 is not recommended because some data for years other than 2010 may 

have been used to develop some water-use estimates. 

Guidelines for preparing the 2010 water-use estimates were 

distributed to USGS personnel in each Water Science Center 

through workshops, Web-based seminars, and written documents. The same guidelines used in 2005 were implemented in 

2010 without change and are published as USGS Techniques and 

Methods Book 4, Chapter E1, “Guidelines for preparation of State 

water-use estimates for 2005” (Hutson, 2007). Reports published 

by individual USGS Water Science Centers as part of the NWUIP, 

as well as a list of contact personnel in each USGS Water Science 

Center, also are available online at http://water.usgs.gov/watuse/.
Total Water Use 355,000 million gallons per day

Total Water Use 7

Total water withdrawals in the United States for 2010 were 

estimated for eight categories of use: public supply, domestic, 

irrigation, livestock, aquaculture, industrial, mining, and 

thermoelectric power (fig. 1). The three largest categories 

were thermoelectric power, irrigation, and public supply, 

cumulatively accounting for 90 percent of the national total. 

The remaining categories of industrial, aquaculture, mining, 

domestic, and livestock together were just about 10 percent of 

total water withdrawals estimated in this report.

Total State populations and withdrawals by source for 

2010 are listed in table 1. Total freshwater and saline-water 

withdrawals were estimated to be 355,000 million gallons 

per day (Mgal/d), or 397,000 thousand acre-feet per year 

(acre-ft/yr). Freshwater withdrawals of 306,000 Mgal/d made 

up 86 percent of the total, and saline-water withdrawals made 

up the remaining 48,300 Mgal/d (14 percent). Most salinewater withdrawals were seawater and brackish coastal water 

used for thermoelectric power. Total surface-water withdrawals were estimated to be 275,000 Mgal/d, or 78 percent 

of the total. About 84 percent (230,000 Mgal/d) of total 

surface-water withdrawals were freshwater. Total groundwater withdrawals were 79,300 Mgal/d, of which 96 percent 

(76,000 Mgal/d) was freshwater. 

Total withdrawals by category and State are listed in 

table 2A, in million gallons per day, and in table 2B, in 

thousand acre-feet per year. Withdrawals for thermoelectric 

power (161,000 Mgal/d) are mostly derived from freshwater 

sources and accounted for 38 percent of the total freshwater 

withdrawals and about 91 percent of total saline-water 

withdrawals. Irrigation withdrawals totaled 115,000 Mgal/d 

and accounted for 38 percent of total freshwater withdrawals. 

Total withdrawals for public supply (42,000 Mgal/d) represented nearly 14 percent of the total freshwater withdrawals. 

In 2010, more than 50 percent of the total withdrawals 

in the United States were accounted for by 12 States: 

California, Texas, Idaho, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, 

Arkansas, Colorado, Michigan, New York, Alabama, and 

Ohio. California accounted for 11 percent of the total withdrawals for all categories and 10 percent of total freshwater 

withdrawals for all categories nationwide. Texas accounted 

for about 7 percent of total withdrawals for all categories, 

predominantly for thermoelectric power, irrigation, and public 

supply. Florida had the largest saline withdrawals, accounting 

for 18 percent of the total in the United States, mostly 

saline surface-water withdrawals for thermoelectric power. 

Oklahoma and Texas accounted for about 70 percent of the 

total saline groundwater withdrawals in the United States, 

mostly for mining.

Water withdrawals by category and State are listed for 

surface water in tables 3A and 3B and for groundwater in 

tables 4A and 4B. In 2010, more surface water than groundwater was withdrawn for all uses except domestic, livestock, and mining. Thermoelectric power accounted for 

51 percent of the total fresh surface-water withdrawals and 

irrigation accounted for 29 percent. The largest surfacewater withdrawals in the Nation were in California, where 

irrigation accounted for 76 percent of total fresh surfacewater withdrawals. Large quantities of fresh surface water 

were also withdrawn for thermoelectric power in Illinois, 

Texas, Michigan, and Alabama. Large saline surface-water 

withdrawals for thermoelectric power occurred in Florida, 

California, Maryland, and New York, which cumulatively 

accounted for 57 percent of the national total saline surfacewater withdrawals.

Of the total fresh groundwater withdrawals 

(76,000 Mgal/d), irrigation accounted for 65 percent, 

primarily in California, Arkansas, Texas, and Nebraska. 

Fresh groundwater irrigation withdrawals in these four States 

cumulatively accounted for 42 percent of the national total 

fresh groundwater withdrawals. Nearly all groundwater 

withdrawals (96 percent) were from freshwater, and irrigation 

used greater than three times more fresh groundwater than 

public supply, which was the next largest use of groundwater 

in the Nation. The largest withdrawals of saline groundwater 

occurred in Oklahoma and Texas.

The geographic distribution of total withdrawals in the 

United States is shown in figure 2. The geographic distribution of total surface water and groundwater, and total 

freshwater and saline-water withdrawals by State is shown 

in figure 3. 
Figure 1

8 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Figure 1. Total water withdrawals by category, 2010.

Public supply, 12 percent

Irrigation, 33 percent

Aquaculture, 3 percent

Mining, 1 percent

Sheep at water trough on the open range Sprinkler irrigation system, Blaine County, Idaho

Wild Rose Fish Hatchery, Waushara County, Wisconsin

Livestock, 1 percent

Domestic, 1 percent

Industrial, 4 percent

Thermoelectric power, 45 percent

Industrial paper mill in Glynn County, Georgia

Water tower, Newton, Kansas

High-efficiency washer and dryer

Joan Kenny, USGS

Photo used with permission from Whilpool

Erin McDaniel, used with permission

Pumpjack in Gove County, Kansas

Molly Maupin, USGS

Watts Bar Nuclear Powerplant, Rhea County, Tennessee

Alan Cressler, USGS Saeid Tadayon, USGS

Photo ©Keith Philpott

Alan Cressler, USGS
Total Water Use 9

Table 1. Total water withdrawals by source and State, 2010. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State

Population 

(in

thousands)

Withdrawals

(in million gallons per day)

Withdrawals

(in million gallons per day)

Withdrawals

(in thousand acre-feet per year)

By source and type Total Total Groundwater Surface water

Fresh Saline Total Fresh Saline Total Fresh Saline Total Fresh Saline Total

Alabama ..................... 4,780 494 0 494 9,470 0 9,470 9,960 0 9,960 11,200 0 11,200

Alaska ........................ 710 478 144 622 391 80.7 472 869 225 1,090 975 252 1,230

Arizona....................... 6,390 2,550 0 2,550 3,540 0 3,540 6,090 0 6,090 6,820 0 6,820

Arkansas..................... 2,920 7,780 5.05 7,790 3,540 0 3,540 11,300 5.05 11,300 12,700 5.66 12,700

California ................... 37,300 12,300 369 12,700 18,800 6,490 25,300 31,100 6,860 38,000 34,900 7,690 42,600

Colorado..................... 5,030 1,540 19.4 1,560 9,440 0 9,440 11,000 19.4 11,000 12,300 21.8 12,300

Connecticut ................ 3,570 216 0 216 600 2,490 3,090 816 2,490 3,310 915 2,800 3,710

Delaware .................... 898 156 0 156 144 417 561 300 417 717 337 468 804

District of Columbia... 602 0.05 0 0.05 0.05 0 0.05 0.10 0 0.10 0.11 0 0.11

Florida........................ 18,800 3,970 154 4,120 2,230 8,580 10,800 6,200 8,740 14,900 6,950 9,790 16,700

Georgia....................... 9,690 1,230 0 1,230 3,210 283 3,490 4,440 283 4,720 4,970 317 5,290

Hawaii........................ 1,360 423 50.8 474 248 552 800 671 603 1,270 752 676 1,430

Idaho .......................... 1,570 4,250 0 4,250 13,000 0 13,000 17,200 0 17,200 19,300 0 19,300

Illinois........................ 12,800 853 25.5 879 12,200 0 12,200 13,100 25.5 13,100 14,600 28.6 14,700

Indiana........................ 6,480 720 0 720 7,920 0 7,920 8,640 0 8,640 9,690 0 9,690

Iowa............................ 3,050 650 0 650 2,420 0 2,420 3,070 0 3,070 3,440 0 3,440

Kansas........................ 2,850 3,200 0 3,200 800 0 800 4,000 0 4,000 4,490 0 4,490

Kentucky.................... 4,340 199 0 199 4,130 0 4,130 4,330 0 4,330 4,850 0 4,850

Louisiana.................... 4,530 1,570 0 1,570 6,960 1.68 6,970 8,540 1.68 8,540 9,570 1.88 9,570

Maine ......................... 1,330 99.4 0 99.4 309 40.8 350 408 40.8 449 458 45.8 504

Maryland.................... 5,770 260 0 260 1,210 5,910 7,120 1,470 5,910 7,380 1,650 6,630 8,280

Massachusetts ............ 6,550 361 0 361 703 1,930 2,640 1,060 1,930 3,000 1,190 2,170 3,360

Michigan .................... 9,880 693 0.57 694 10,100 0 10,100 10,800 0.57 10,800 12,100 0.64 12,100

Minnesota................... 5,300 736 0 736 3,080 0 3,080 3,820 0 3,820 4,280 0 4,280

Mississippi ................. 2,970 2,610 19.6 2,630 1,240 62.4 1,300 3,850 82.0 3,930 4,320 92.0 4,410

Missouri ..................... 5,990 1,810 0 1,810 6,750 0 6,750 8,570 0 8,570 9,610 0 9,610

Montana ..................... 989 268 18.6 286 7,360 0 7,360 7,630 18.6 7,650 8,550 20.9 8,570

Nebraska .................... 1,830 4,710 0.13 4,710 3,320 0 3,320 8,040 0.13 8,040 9,010 0.15 9,010

Nevada ....................... 2,700 1,190 11.9 1,200 1,420 0 1,420 2,610 11.9 2,620 2,930 13.4 2,940

New Hampshire ......... 1,320 89.7 0 89.7 277 848 1,120 367 848 1,210 411 951 1,360

New Jersey................. 8,790 612 0 612 1,320 3,740 5,060 1,930 3,740 5,670 2,170 4,190 6,360

New Mexico............... 2,060 1,570 0 1,570 1,590 0 1,590 3,160 0 3,160 3,540 0 3,540

New York ................... 19,400 704 0 704 5,020 4,850 9,870 5,730 4,850 10,600 6,420 5,430 11,900

North Carolina ........... 9,540 694 0 694 10,400 1,360 11,700 11,100 1,360 12,400 12,400 1,530 13,900

North Dakota.............. 673 139 13.6 153 994 0 994 1,130 13.6 1,150 1,270 15.3 1,290

Ohio............................ 11,500 929 0 929 8,510 0 8,510 9,440 0 9,440 10,600 0 10,600

Oklahoma................... 3,750 635 1,400 2,030 1,140 0 1,140 1,770 1,400 3,170 1,990 1,570 3,550

Oregon........................ 3,830 2,130 0 2,130 4,600 0 4,600 6,730 0 6,730 7,550 0 7,550

Pennsylvania .............. 12,700 657 0 657 7,480 0 7,480 8,130 0 8,130 9,120 0 9,120

Rhode Island .............. 1,050 36.5 0 36.5 98.0 241 339 134 241 376 151 270 421

South Carolina ........... 4,630 339 0 339 6,440 0 6,440 6,780 0 6,780 7,600 0 7,600

South Dakota.............. 814 339 0 339 287 0 287 626 0 626 701 0 701

Tennessee ................... 6,350 470 0 470 7,230 0 7,230 7,700 0 7,700 8,630 0 8,630

Texas.......................... 25,100 6,830 884 7,710 15,800 1,280 17,100 22,600 2,160 24,800 25,400 2,420 27,800

Utah............................ 2,760 1,030 92.6 1,120 3,110 238 3,340 4,130 331 4,460 4,630 371 5,000

Vermont...................... 626 41.6 0 41.6 389 0 389 431 0 431 483 0 483

Virginia....................... 8,000 299 9.97 309 4,140 3,200 7,340 4,440 3,210 7,650 4,970 3,600 8,570

Washington................. 6,720 1,600 0 1,600 3,320 33.1 3,350 4,920 33.1 4,960 5,520 37.1 5,560

West Virginia.............. 1,850 121 4.82 125 3,410 0 3,410 3,530 4.82 3,530 3,960 5.40 3,960

Wisconsin................... 5,690 754 0 754 5,400 0 5,400 6,160 0 6,160 6,900 0 6,900

Wyoming.................... 564 550 67.1 617 4,080 0 4,080 4,630 67.1 4,700 5,200 75.2 5,270

Puerto Rico................. 3,730 125 0.32 125 611 2,270 2,880 736 2,270 3,010 825 2,550 3,370

U.S. Virgin Islands... 106 1.14 0 1.14 2.85 124 127 3.99 124 128 4.47 139 143

TOTAL 313,000 76,000 3,290 79,300 230,000 45,000 275,000 306,000 48,300 355,000 343,000 54,200 397,000
10 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Table 2A. Total water withdrawals by water-use category, 2010, in million gallons per day. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State Public

supply

Selfsupplied

domestic

IrrigationLivestockAquaculture

Self-supplied

industrial Mining Thermoelectric

power

Total

Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Total

Alabama ................... 831 38.0 159 26.5 59.1 574 0 20.2 0 8,250 0 9,960 0 9,960

Alaska ...................... 79.0 14.8 1.59 0.25 684 7.78 4.30 24.1 221 58.0 0 869 225 1,090

Arizona..................... 1,210 27.2 4,570 27.0 47.3 12.9 0 86.6 0 104 0 6,090 0 6,090

Arkansas................... 429 12.8 8,720 39.0 268 271 5.05 44.3 0 1,540 0 11,300 5.05 11,300

California ................. 6,300 172 23,100 188 973 400 0 36.4 236 65.4 6,540 31,100 6,860 38,000

Colorado................... 848 37.9 9,710 36.9 122 130 0 8.51 19.4 77 0 11,000 19.4 11,000

Connecticut .............. 427 65.4 24.0 1.01 29.7 66.5 38.5 4.72 0 198 2,460 816 2,490 3,310

Delaware .................. 78.1 14.8 101 1.31 0.06 96.0 0 0.85 0 7.82 417 300 417 717

District of Columbia 0 0 0.10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.10 0 0.10

Florida...................... 2,270 214 2,920 21.3 1.86 213 0 113 0 613 8,570 6,200 8,740 14,900

Georgia..................... 1,120 115 839 29.3 49.8 487 0 27.7 0 1,770 283 4,440 283 4,720

Hawaii...................... 274 8.02 323 1.83 4.54 4.63 0 1.51 0 53.2 603 671 603 1,270

Idaho ........................ 239 79.0 14,000 47.5 2,750 49.7 0 20.2 0 0.88 0 17,200 0 17,200

Illinois...................... 1,500 92.4 226 36.1 32.0 390 0 70.9 25.5 10,700 0 13,100 25.5 13,100

Indiana...................... 656 126 137 39.2 8.57 2,210 0 88.2 0 5,380 0 8,640 0 8,640

Iowa.......................... 393 38.4 42.8 136 18.9 125 0 79.6 0 2,240 0 3,070 0 3,070

Kansas...................... 391 14.9 3,040 114 12.9 40.3 0 13.3 0 377 0 4,000 0 4,000

Kentucky.................. 572 33.2 29.0 43.8 34.1 228 0 30.8 0 3,360 0 4,330 0 4,330

Louisiana.................. 746 47.0 928 8.03 311 2,060 0 11.3 0 4,430 1.68 8,540 1.68 8,540

Maine ....................... 91.3 33.0 11.3 2.29 46.9 192 14.8 4.87 0 26.8 26.0 408 40.8 449

Maryland.................. 790 85.6 72.1 8.25 20.8 50.0 146 9.43 0 436 5,760 1,470 5,910 7,380

Massachusetts .......... 679 37.9 139 1.40 49.6 16.3 0 6.60 0 134 1,930 1,060 1,930 3,000

Michigan .................. 1,090 231 209 19.6 82.7 612 0 76.2 0.57 8,520 0 10,800 0.57 10,800

Minnesota................. 542 79.0 197 59.3 16.9 134 0 285 0 2,510 0 3,820 0 3,820

Mississippi ............... 395 44.6 2,090 18.4 133 203 0 8.78 12.6 956 69.5 3,850 82.0 3,930

Missouri ................... 836 61.8 1,400 72.9 181 68.4 0 32.9 0 5,910 0 8,570 0 8,570

Montana ................... 138 22.2 7,160 41.8 18.9 66.4 0 27.9 18.6 151 0 7,630 18.6 7,650

Nebraska .................. 296 44.0 5,660 114 88.3 31.1 0 8.86 0.13 1,790 0 8,040 0.13 8,040

Nevada ..................... 581 29.8 1,570 5.06 49.5 5.23 0 345 0.95 21.6 11.0 2,610 11.9 2,620

New Hampshire ....... 91.2 33.3 1.92 0.89 16.6 17.7 0 2.85 0 202 848 367 848 1,210

New Jersey............... 1,080 98.3 138 0.98 9.16 83.3 0 8.64 0 513 3,740 1,930 3,740 5,670

New Mexico............. 283 25.8 2,700 35.8 20.1 11.1 0 37.1 0 51.9 0 3,160 0 3,160

New York ................. 2,260 152 70.4 22.6 40.2 352 0 72.4 0 2,760 4,850 5,730 4,850 10,600

North Carolina ......... 960 231 367 72.0 1,470 271 0 32.6 0 7,660 1,360 11,100 1,360 12,400

North Dakota............ 68.8 3.68 165 21.6 5.92 18.7 0 13.4 13.6 837 0 1,130 13.6 1,150

Ohio.......................... 1,370 137 52.6 24.0 34.3 489 0 115 0 7,220 0 9,440 0 9,440

Oklahoma................. 657 26.8 564 88.8 10.7 20.8 0 18.0 1,400 385 0 1,770 1,400 3,170

Oregon...................... 534 67.1 5,260 17.0 712 126 0 8.64 0 12.7 0 6,730 0 6,730

Pennsylvania ............ 1,420 201 27.1 52.3 108 866 0 62.0 0 5,390 0 8,130 0 8,130

Rhode Island ............ 108 8.02 2.69 0.18 14.5 7.52 0 0.92 0 1.44 232 135 241 376

South Carolina ......... 619 115 125 12.0 11.0 388 0 8.43 0 5,500 0 6,780 0 6,780

South Dakota............ 124 5.37 362 47.4 48.4 9.48 0 18.2 0 10.3 0 626 0 626

Tennessee ................. 918 38.7 71.9 27.5 52.6 776 0 14.6 0 5,800 0 7,700 0 7,700

Texas........................ 3,990 259 6,830 259 31.4 680 610 203 810 10,500 661 22,600 2,160 24,800

Utah.......................... 673 8.44 3,220 16.5 97.1 47.6 70.6 4.19 246 69.6 11.0 4,130 331 4,460

Vermont.................... 43.1 13.6 2.45 5.63 10.9 5.69 0 3.85 0 345 0 431 0 431

Virginia..................... 665 124 61.4 27.4 295 383 56.1 34.9 0 2,860 3,150 4,440 3,210 7,650

Washington............... 910 113 3,150 27.8 213 458 33.1 16.7 0 37.9 0 4,920 33.1 4,960

West Virginia............ 189 31.5 0.09 5.08 52.3 764 3.80 14.5 1.02 2,470 0 3,530 4.82 3,530

Wisconsin................. 481 78.4 379 73.1 55.8 436 0 19.6 0 4,630 0 6,160 0 6,160

Wyoming.................. 99.0 8.55 4,370 16.5 20.8 6.74 0 50.1 67.1 63.4 0 4,630 67.1 4,700

Puerto Rico............... 677 2.41 38.2 7.81 0.41 4.30 0 1.61 0.32 3.78 2,270 736 2,270 3,010

U.S. Virgin Islands... 5.86 2.67 0 0.02 0 0.22 2.62 0 0.04 0.17 116 3.99 124 128

TOTAL 42,000 3,600 115,000 2,000 9,420 15,000 986 2,250 3,070 117,000 43,900 306,000 48,300 355,000
Total Water Use 11

Table 2B. Total water withdrawals by water-use category, 2010, in thousand acre-feet per year. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State Public

supply

Selfsupplied

domestic

IrrigationLivestockAquaculture

Self-supplied

industrial Mining Thermoelectric

power

Total

Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Total

Alabama ................... 932 42.6 178 29.7 66.3 644 0 22.7 0 9,250 0 11,200 0 11,200

Alaska ...................... 88.6 16.6 1.78 0.28 767 8.72 4.82 27.0 248 65.0 0 975 252 1,230

Arizona..................... 1,360 30.5 5,120 30.2 53 14.5 0 97.1 0 117 0 6,820 0 6,820

Arkansas................... 481 14.4 9,770 43.7 300 303 5.66 49.6 0 1,730 0 12,700 5.66 12,700

California ................. 7,060 193 25,800 211 1,090 449 0 40.8 265 73.3 7,330 34,900 7,690 42,600

Colorado................... 950 42.5 10,900 41.3 137 146 0 9.54 21.8 86.3 0 12,300 21.8 12,300

Connecticut .............. 479 73.3 26.9 1.13 33.3 74.5 43.1 5.29 0 222 2,750 915 2,800 3,710

Delaware .................. 87.5 16.6 114 1.47 0.07 108 0 0.95 0 8.77 468 337 468 804

District of Columbia 0 0 0.11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.11 0 0.11

Florida...................... 2,540 240 3,270 23.9 2.09 239 0 127 0 687 9,610 6,950 9,790 16,700

Georgia..................... 1,250 129 940 32.8 55.8 546 0 31.0 0 1,990 317 4,970 317 5,290

Hawaii...................... 307 8.99 363 2.05 5.09 5.19 0 1.69 0 59.6 676 752 676 1,430

Idaho ........................ 267 88.6 15,700 53.3 3,090 55.7 0 22.6 0 0.99 0 19,300 0 19,300

Illinois...................... 1,690 104 253 40.4 35.8 438 0 79.4 28.6 12,000 0 14,600 28.6 14,700

Indiana...................... 735 141 154 43.9 9.61 2,470 0 98.9 0 6,030 0 9,690 0 9,690

Iowa.......................... 440 43.0 48.0 152 21.2 140 0 89.2 0 2,510 0 3,440 0 3,440

Kansas...................... 439 16.7 3,410 128 14.5 45.2 0 14.9 0 423 0 4,490 0 4,490

Kentucky.................. 641 37.2 32.5 49.1 38.2 255 0 34.5 0 3,760 0 4,850 0 4,850

Louisiana.................. 837 52.7 1,040 9.00 349 2,310 0 12.6 0 4,960 1.88 9,570 1.88 9,570

Maine ....................... 102 37.0 12.6 2.57 52.6 215 16.6 5.46 0 30.1 29.1 458 45.8 504

Maryland.................. 885 95.9 80.8 9.25 23.3 56.0 164 10.6 0 489 6,460 1,650 6,630 8,280

Massachusetts .......... 761 42.5 156 1.57 55.7 18.3 0 7.40 0 151 2,160 1,190 2,170 3,360

Michigan .................. 1,220 259 235 22.0 92.7 686 0 85.4 0.64 9,550 0 12,100 0.64 12,100

Minnesota................. 607 88.5 221 66.5 18.9 150 0 319 0 2,810 0 4,280 0 4,280

Mississippi ............... 443 50.0 2,350 20.6 149 227 0 9.84 14.1 1,070 77.9 4,320 92.0 4,410

Missouri ................... 938 69.3 1,570 81.7 202 76.7 0 36.8 0 6,630 0 9,610 0 9,610

Montana ................... 155 24.9 8,030 46.9 21.2 74.5 0 31.3 20.9 169 0 8,550 20.9 8,570

Nebraska .................. 331 49.3 6,340 128 99.0 34.9 0 9.93 0.15 2,010 0 9,010 0.15 9,010

Nevada ..................... 651 33.4 1,760 5.67 55.4 5.86 0 387 1.06 24.2 12.3 2,930 13.4 2,940

New Hampshire ....... 102 37.4 2.15 1.00 18.6 19.8 0 3.19 0 227 951 411 951 1,360

New Jersey............... 1,210 110 154 1.10 10.3 93.3 0 9.69 0 575 4,190 2,170 4,190 6,360

New Mexico............. 318 28.9 3,020 40.1 22.5 12.4 0 41.6 0 58.1 0 3,540 0 3,540

New York ................. 2,540 171 78.9 25.3 45.0 395 0 81.1 0 3,090 5,430 6,420 5,430 11,900

North Carolina ......... 1,080 259 411 80.7 1,640 304 0 36.6 0 8,580 1,530 12,400 1,530 13,900

North Dakota............ 77.2 4.13 185 24.2 6.64 20.9 0 15.0 15.3 938 0 1,270 15.3 1,290

Ohio.......................... 1,540 154 58.9 26.9 38.5 548 0 129 0 8,090 0 10,600 0 10,600

Oklahoma................. 737 30.1 632 99.6 12.0 23.3 0 20.2 1,570 432 0 1,990 1,570 3,550

Oregon...................... 598 75.2 5,890 19.1 798 141 0 9.69 0 14.2 0 7550 0 7,550

Pennsylvania ............ 1,600 225 30.4 58.6 121 971 0 69.5 0 6,050 0 9,120 0 9,120

Rhode Island ............ 121 8.99 3.02 0.20 16.3 8.43 0 1.03 0 1.61 260 151 270 421

South Carolina ......... 693 129 140 13.5 12.3 435 0 9.45 0 6,170 0 7,600 0 7,600

South Dakota............ 139 6.02 406 53.1 54.3 10.6 0 20.4 0 11.5 0 701 0 701

Tennessee ................. 1,030 43.4 80.6 30.8 59.0 870 0 16.4 0 6,500 0 8,630 0 8,630

Texas........................ 4,480 290 7,660 290 35.2 762 684 227 908 11,700 741 25,400 2,420 27,800

Utah.......................... 754 9.46 3,610 18.5 109 53.3 79.2 4.70 276 78.0 12.3 4,630 371 5,000

Vermont.................... 48.3 15.3 2.75 6.31 12.3 6.38 0 4.32 0 387 0 483 0 483

Virginia..................... 745 139 68.8 30.7 331 429 62.9 39.1 0 3,200 3,530 4,970 3,600 8,570

Washington............... 1,020 126 3,530 31.1 239 513 37.1 18.7 0 42.5 0 5,520 37.1 5,560

West Virginia............ 212 35.3 0.10 5.69 58.7 857 4.26 16.3 1.14 2,770 0 3,960 5.40 3,960

Wisconsin................. 540 87.8 425 81.9 62.5 489 0 21.9 0 5,200 0 6,900 0 6,900

Wyoming.................. 111 9.58 4,900 18.5 23.4 7.56 0 56.2 75.2 71.0 0 5,200 75.2 5,270

Puerto Rico............... 759 2.70 42.8 8.76 0.46 4.82 0 1.80 0.36 4.24 2,540 825 2,550 3,370

U.S. Virgin Islands... 6.57 2.99 0 0.02 0 0.25 2.94 0 0.04 0.19 130 4.47 139 143

TOTAL 47,100 4,040 129,000 2,240 10,600 16,800 1,100 2,520 3,440 131,000 49,200 343,000 54,200 397,000
12 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Table 3A. Surface-water withdrawals by water-use category, 2010, in million gallons per day. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State Public

supply

Selfsupplied

domestic

Irrigation Livestock

Aquaculture

Self-supplied

industrial Mining Thermoelectric

power

Total

Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Total

Alabama .................. 551 0 74.0 14.8 26.6 540 0 7.49 0 8,250 0 9,470 0 9,470

Alaska ..................... 51.8 0.66 0.02 0.15 255 4.40 4.30 24.1 76.4 55.8 0 391 80.7 472

Arizona.................... 628 0 2,880 0 7.77 0 0 0 0 27.1 0 3,540 0 3,540

Arkansas.................. 295 0 1,340 23.4 86.5 214 0 44.1 0 1,540 0 3,540 0 3,540

California ................ 3,470 29.4 14,400 103 802 1.13 0 12.2 0.05 32.2 6,490 18,800 6,490 25,300

Colorado.................. 717 0 8,420 11.8 99.0 127 0 3.05 0 60.2 0 9,440 0 9,440

Connecticut ............. 292 0 23.1 0 23.0 60.2 38.5 3.80 0 198 2,460 600 2,490 3,090

Delaware ................. 33.3 0 15.2 0 0 87.5 0 0.41 0 7.45 417 144 417 561

District of Columbia 0 0 0.05 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.05 0 0.05

Florida..................... 256 0 1,340 2.22 0 47.7 0 34.1 0 570 8,570 2,230 8,580 10,800

Georgia.................... 873 0 202 26.9 45.9 281 0 8.41 0 1,770 283 3,210 283 3,490

Hawaii..................... 15.8 6.17 223 1.20 2.40 0 0 0.11 0 0 552 248 552 800

Idaho ....................... 27.1 0 10,200 9.01 2,690 17.2 0 18.9 0 0 0 13,000 0 13,000

Illinois..................... 1,140 0 17.5 0.03 27.2 267 0 55.4 0 10,700 0 12,200 0 12,200

Indiana..................... 304 0 38.7 13.0 1.97 2,120 0 83.7 0 5,360 0 7,920 0 7,920

Iowa......................... 84.3 0 1.18 33.8 4.45 2.70 0 78.1 0 2,220 0 2,420 0 2,420

Kansas..................... 231 0 160 23.0 8.57 6.79 0 3.98 0 366 0 800 0 800

Kentucky................. 501 13.5 27.4 41.6 33.5 146 0 23.0 0 3,340 0 4,130 0 4,130

Louisiana................. 368 0 258 3.88 114 1,830 0 5.94 0 4,390 1.68 6,960 1.68 6,970

Maine ...................... 63.6 0 8.77 0.58 21.2 185 14.8 3.73 0 25.9 26.0 309 40.8 350

Maryland................. 701 0 18.6 2.23 15.7 38.6 146 2.18 0 434 5,760 1,210 5,910 7,120

Massachusetts ......... 489 0 21.4 0.50 42.4 12.1 0 4.78 0 134 1,930 703 1,930 2,640

Michigan ................. 883 0 62.6 1.90 78.5 537 0 66.0 0 8,510 0 10,100 0 10,100

Minnesota................ 188 0 26.7 0 15.2 71.7 0 276 0 2,510 0 3,080 0 3,080

Mississippi .............. 46.3 0 133 11.1 19.3 125 0 0.55 0 905 62.4 1,240 62.4 1,300

Missouri .................. 543 0 49.6 54.4 170 34.1 0 8.41 0 5,890 0 6,750 0 6,750

Montana .................. 72.4 1.04 7,030 29.5 16.4 29.6 0 26.2 0 150 0 7,360 0 7,360

Nebraska ................. 61.4 0 1,360 21.2 82.2 2.33 0 8.77 0 1,790 0 3,320 0 3,320

Nevada .................... 448 0 921 0 38.8 4.53 0 4.11 0 3.68 0 1,420 0 1,420

New Hampshire ...... 56.6 0 0.67 0.22 8.48 7.06 0 2.84 0 201 848 277 848 1,120

New Jersey.............. 682 0 70.1 0 0 48.5 0 6.91 0 512 3,740 1,320 3,740 5,060

New Mexico............ 72.4 0 1,460 3.03 4.32 0.83 0 9.68 0 42.3 0 1,590 0 1,590

New York ................ 1,810 0 40.2 8.00 36.8 316 0 64.0 0 2,750 4,850 5,020 4,850 9,870

North Carolina ........ 766 0 279 15.0 1,450 188 0 4.87 0 7,660 1,360 10,400 1,360 11,700

North Dakota........... 38.3 0 87.2 8.62 5.92 12.9 0 4.63 0 837 0 994 0 994

Ohio......................... 918 2.75 35.4 16.3 19.0 293 0 35.8 0 7,190 0 8,510 0 8,510

Oklahoma................ 527 0 135 56.3 7.43 14.3 0 13.3 0 384 0 1,140 0 1,140

Oregon..................... 420 7.07 3,350 14.0 679 123 0 1.17 0 11.2 0 4,600 0 4,600

Pennsylvania ........... 1,200 0 19.8 6.75 59.7 792 0 10.5 0 5,390 0 7,480 0 7,480

Rhode Island ........... 92.2 0 0.39 0.01 8.90 3.35 0 0.49 0 1.44 232 98.0 241 339

South Carolina ........ 504 0 57.4 6.79 8.97 365 0 1.74 0 5,500 0 6,440 0 6,440

South Dakota........... 49.9 0 165 28.3 23.6 2.63 0 11.0 0 6.93 0 287 0 287

Tennessee ................ 618 0 27.6 13.4 37.2 728 0 7.73 0 5,800 0 7,230 0 7,230

Texas....................... 2,860 0 1,730 127 22.2 571 608 81.2 0.49 10,400 661 15,800 1,280 17,100

Utah......................... 309 0 2,730 8.76 0 16.4 33.1 1.60 205 45.6 0.47 3,110 238 3,340

Vermont................... 29.2 0 1.68 1.41 4.96 3.69 0 3.53 0 344 0 389 0 389

Virginia.................... 594 0 45.4 20.8 286 309 56.1 28.4 0 2,850 3,150 4,140 3,200 7,340

Washington.............. 439 0.02 2,350 8.55 127 358 33.1 3.36 0 36.4 0 3,320 33.1 3,350

West Virginia........... 155 0.63 0.04 3.42 40.6 729 0 9.00 0 2,470 0 3,410 0 3,410

Wisconsin................ 221 0 123 7.30 30.2 382 0 8.63 0 4,630 0 5,400 0 5,400

Wyoming................. 47.5 0 3,930 10.3 18.7 1.82 0 13.0 0 61.1 0 4,080 0 4,080

Puerto Rico.............. 590 0 15.7 2.24 0.40 0 0 0.18 0 2.61 2,270 611 2,270 2,880

U.S. Virgin Islands.. 4.95 2.67 0 0.01 0 0 2.62 0 0.04 0.17 116 2.85 124 127

TOTAL 26,300 63.9 65,900 797 7,610 12,100 937 1,130 282 116,000 43,800 230,000 45,000 275,000
Total Water Use 13

Table 3B. Surface-water withdrawals by water-use category, 2010, in thousand acre-feet per year. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State Public

supply

Selfsupplied

domestic

Irrigation Livestock

Aquaculture

Self-supplied

industrial Mining Thermoelectric

power

Total

Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Total

Alabama .................. 617 0 83.0 16.6 29.9 606 0 8.40 0 9,250 0 10,600 0 10,600

Alaska ..................... 58.1 0.74 0.02 0.17 285 4.93 4.82 27.0 85.6 62.6 0 439 90.4 529

Arizona.................... 704 0 3,220 0 8.71 0 0 0 0 30.4 0 3,970 0 3,970

Arkansas.................. 331 0 1,500 26.2 96.9 240 0 49.4 0 1,720 0 3,970 0 3,970

California ................ 3,890 33.0 16,100 116 899 1.27 0 13.7 0.06 36.1 7,270 21,100 7,270 28,400

Colorado.................. 804 0 9,440 13.2 111 142 0 3.42 0 67.5 0 10,600 0 10,600

Connecticut ............. 327 0 25.9 0 25.8 67.5 43.1 4.26 0 222 2,750 673 2,800 3,470

Delaware ................. 37.3 0 17.1 0 0 98.1 0 0.46 0 8.35 468 161 468 629

District of Columbia 0 0 0.06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.06 0 0.06

Florida..................... 287 0 1,500 2.49 0 53.5 0 38.2 0 639 9,600 2,500 9,620 12,100

Georgia.................... 979 0 227 30.1 51.4 315 0 9.43 0 1,980 317 3,600 317 3,910

Hawaii..................... 17.7 6.92 249 1.35 2.69 0 0 0.12 0 0 619 278 619 897

Idaho ....................... 30.4 0 11,500 10.1 3,010 19.2 0 21.2 0 0 0 14,600 0 14,600

Illinois..................... 1,280 0 19.6 0.03 30.5 299 0 62.1 0 12,000 0 13,700 0 13,700

Indiana..................... 341 0 43.4 14.6 2.21 2,380 0 93.9 0 6,010 0 8,880 0 8,880

Iowa......................... 94.5 0 1.32 37.9 4.99 3.03 0 87.5 0 2,480 0 2,710 0 2,710

Kansas..................... 259 0 179 25.8 9.61 7.61 0 4.46 0 410 0 897 0 897

Kentucky................. 562 15.1 30.7 46.6 37.6 164 0 25.7 0 3,740 0 4,630 0 4,630

Louisiana................. 413 0 289 4.35 127 2,050 0 6.66 0 4,920 1.88 7,810 1.88 7,810

Maine ...................... 71.3 0 9.83 0.65 23.7 208 16.6 4.18 0 29.0 29.1 347 45.8 392

Maryland................. 785 0 20.9 2.50 17.6 43.3 164 2.44 0 486 6,460 1,360 6,630 7,980

Massachusetts ......... 548 0 24.0 0.56 47.6 13.5 0 5.36 0 150 2,160 788 2,170 2,950

Michigan ................. 990 0 70.1 2.13 88.0 602 0 74.0 0 9,540 0 11,400 0 11,400

Minnesota................ 211 0 29.9 0 17.0 80.4 0 310 0 2,810 0 3,460 0 3,460

Mississippi .............. 51.9 0 149 12.4 21.6 140 0 0.62 0 1,020 70.0 1,390 70.0 1,460

Missouri .................. 609 0 55.6 61.0 191 38.3 0 9.43 0 6,610 0 7,570 0 7,570

Montana .................. 81.1 1.17 7,880 33.0 18.4 33.1 0 29.3 0 168 0 8,250 0 8,250

Nebraska ................. 68.8 0 1,520 23.7 92.1 2.61 0 9.83 0 2,010 0 3,730 0 3,730

Nevada .................... 502 0 1,030 0 43.5 5.08 0 4.61 0 4.13 0 1,590 0 1,590

New Hampshire ...... 63.4 0 0.75 0.25 9.51 7.91 0 3.18 0 225 951 310 951 1,260

New Jersey.............. 765 0 78.5 0 0 54.4 0 7.75 0 574 4,190 1,480 4,190 5,670

New Mexico............ 81.1 0 1,640 3.40 4.84 0.93 0 10.9 0 47.4 0 1,780 0 1,780

New York ................ 2,020 0 45.0 8.97 41.3 354 0 71.8 0 3,090 5,430 5,630 5,430 11,100

North Carolina ........ 858 0 312 16.8 1,630 210 0 5.46 0 8,580 1,530 11,600 1,530 13,100

North Dakota........... 42.9 0 97.8 9.66 6.64 14.5 0 5.19 0 938 0 1,110 0 1,110

Ohio......................... 1,030 3.08 39.7 18.2 21.3 328 0 40.2 0 8,060 0 9,540 0 9,540

Oklahoma................ 591 0 151 63.1 8.33 16.0 0 14.9 0 431 0 1,270 0 1,270

Oregon..................... 471 7.93 3,750 15.7 761 138 0 1.31 0 12.6 0 5,160 0 5,160

Pennsylvania ........... 1,340 0 22.1 7.57 66.9 888 0 11.8 0 6,040 0 8,380 0 8,380

Rhode Island ........... 103 0 0.44 0.01 9.98 3.76 0 0.55 0 1.61 260 110 270 380

South Carolina ........ 565 0 64.4 7.61 10.1 409 0 1.95 0 6,160 0 7,220 0 7,220

South Dakota........... 56.0 0 185 31.7 26.4 2.95 0 12.3 0 7.77 0 322 0 322

Tennessee ................ 692 0 31.0 15.1 41.7 817 0 8.67 0 6,500 0 8,100 0 8,100

Texas....................... 3,200 0 1,940 143 24.9 641 682 91.0 0.55 11,700 741 17,700 1,430 19,200

Utah......................... 346 0 3,060 9.82 0 18.4 37.1 1.79 229 51.1 0.53 3,480 267 3,750

Vermont................... 32.7 0 1.88 1.58 5.56 4.14 0 3.96 0 386 0 436 0 436

Virginia.................... 666 0 50.8 23.4 320 346 62.9 31.8 0 3,200 3,530 4,640 3,590 8,230

Washington.............. 492 0.02 2,630 9.58 142 402 37.1 3.77 0 40.8 0 3,720 37.1 3,760

West Virginia........... 174 0.71 0.04 3.83 45.5 817 0 10.1 0 2,770 0 3,820 0 3,820

Wisconsin................ 247 0 138 8.18 33.9 428 0 9.67 0 5,190 0 6,060 0 6,060

Wyoming................. 53.3 0 4,410 11.6 21.0 2.04 0 14.6 0 68.4 0 4,580 0 4,580

Puerto Rico.............. 661 0 17.6 2.51 0.45 0 0 0.20 0 2.93 2,540 685 2,540 3,230

U.S. Virgin Islands.. 5.55 2.99 0 0.01 0 0 2.94 0 0.04 0.19 130 3.19 139 142

TOTAL 29,500 71.7 73,900 893 8,530 13,500 1,050 1,270 316 130,000 49,100 258,000 50,500 309,000
14 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Table 4A. Groundwater withdrawals by water-use category, 2010, in million gallons per day. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State Public

supply

Selfsupplied

domestic

Irrigation Livestock

Aquaculture

Self-supplied

industrial Mining Thermoelectric

power

Total

Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Total

Alabama .................... 280 38.0 84.9 11.7 32.4 34.0 0 12.7 0 0 0 494 0 494

Alaska ....................... 27.2 14.1 1.57 0.10 429 3.38 0 0.01 144 2.19 0 478 144 622

Arizona...................... 585 27.2 1,690 27.0 39.5 12.9 0 86.6 0 77.3 0 2,550 0 2,550

Arkansas.................... 134 12.8 7,380 15.6 181 56.1 5.05 0.18 0 4.26 0 7,780 5.05 7,790

California .................. 2,830 142 8,690 84.4 171 399 0 24.1 236 33.1 48.4 12,300 369 12,700

Colorado.................... 130 37.9 1,300 25.1 23.0 3.45 0 5.46 19.4 16.8 0 1,540 19.4 1,560

Connecticut ............... 135 65.4 0.85 1.01 6.67 6.28 0 0.92 0 0 0 216 0 216

Delaware ................... 44.8 14.8 86.1 1.31 0.06 8.43 0 0.44 0 0.37 0 156 0 156

District of Columbia 0 0 0.05 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.05 0 0.05

Florida....................... 2,010 214 1,580 19.1 1.86 165 0 78.8 0 43.5 6.54 3,970 154 4,120

Georgia...................... 243 115 636 2.38 3.92 206 0 19.3 0 2.92 0 1,230 0 1,230

Hawaii....................... 258 1.85 101 0.63 2.14 4.63 0 1.40 0 53.2 50.8 423 50.8 474

Idaho ......................... 212 79.0 3,820 38.5 65.6 32.6 0 1.28 0 0.88 0 4,250 0 4,250

Illinois....................... 367 92.4 208 36.0 4.78 124 0 15.5 25.5 5.65 0 853 25.5 879

Indiana....................... 351 126 98.4 26.2 6.60 82.2 0 4.52 0 24.6 0 720 0 720

Iowa........................... 309 38.4 41.6 102 14.4 123 0 1.53 0 21.2 0 650 0 650

Kansas....................... 160 14.9 2,880 91.0 4.37 33.5 0 9.34 0 11.2 0 3,200 0 3,200

Kentucky................... 71.0 19.7 1.65 2.21 0.53 81.4 0 7.80 0 15.3 0 199 0 199

Louisiana................... 378 47.0 670 4.15 197 231 0 5.32 0 41.1 0 1,570 0 1,570

Maine ........................ 27.7 33.0 2.51 1.71 25.8 6.54 0 1.14 0 0.96 0 99.4 0 99.4

Maryland................... 89.2 85.6 53.4 6.02 5.06 11.3 0 7.25 0 2.25 0 260 0 260

Massachusetts ........... 191 37.9 118 0.90 7.23 4.28 0 1.82 0 0.21 0 361 0 361

Michigan ................... 204 231 147 17.7 4.21 75.0 0 10.1 0.57 4.12 0 693 0.57 694

Minnesota.................. 353 79.0 171 59.3 1.69 61.8 0 8.32 0 2.34 0 736 0 736

Mississippi ................ 349 44.6 1,960 7.35 113 77.8 0 8.23 12.6 50.0 7.05 2,610 19.6 2,630

Missouri .................... 293 61.8 1,350 18.4 10.5 34.3 0 24.4 0 19.9 0 1,810 0 1,810

Montana .................... 65.6 21.2 127 12.4 2.45 36.9 0 1.73 18.6 0.85 0 268 18.6 286

Nebraska ................... 234 44.0 4,300 93.0 6.07 28.8 0 0.09 0.13 5.25 0 4,710 0.13 4,710

Nevada ...................... 133 29.8 653 5.06 10.6 0.70 0 341 0.95 17.9 11.0 1,190 11.9 1,200

New Hampshire ........ 34.7 33.3 1.25 0.67 8.09 10.6 0 0.01 0 1.02 0 89.7 0 89.7

New Jersey................ 398 98.3 67.6 0.98 9.16 34.8 0 1.73 0 1.57 0 612 0 612

New Mexico.............. 211 25.8 1,240 32.8 15.8 10.3 0 27.4 0 9.59 0 1,570 0 1,570

New York .................. 457 152 30.2 14.6 3.36 35.9 0 8.34 0 2.39 0 704 0 704

North Carolina .......... 194 231 88.3 56.9 11.5 83.8 0 27.8 0 0.37 0 694 0 694

North Dakota............. 30.5 3.68 77.5 12.9 0 5.77 0 8.73 13.6 0 0 139 13.6 153

Ohio........................... 455 134 17.2 7.70 15.4 197 0 79.0 0 23.0 0 929 0 929

Oklahoma.................. 130 26.8 429 32.5 3.25 6.46 0 4.75 1,400 1.26 0 635 1,400 2,030

Oregon....................... 114 60.0 1,910 3.00 33.4 2.62 0 7.47 0 1.48 0 2,130 0 2,130

Pennsylvania ............. 226 201 7.39 45.6 47.9 73.8 0 51.4 0 4.49 0 657 0 657

Rhode Island ............. 15.8 8.02 2.30 0.17 5.60 4.17 0 0.43 0 0 0 36.5 0 36.5

South Carolina .......... 114 115 67.7 5.23 2.00 22.7 0 6.69 0 4.86 0 339 0 339

South Dakota............. 74.3 5.37 198 19.1 24.8 6.85 0 7.22 0 3.34 0 339 0 339

Tennessee .................. 301 38.7 44.3 14.0 15.4 47.6 0 6.89 0 1.78 0 470 0 470

Texas......................... 1,130 259 5,100 131 9.13 108 2.04 122 810 38.8 0 6,830 884 7,710

Utah........................... 364 8.44 494 7.77 97.1 31.2 37.5 2.59 41.6 24.0 10.5 1,030 92.6 1,120

Vermont..................... 14.0 13.6 0.77 4.22 5.97 2.00 0 0.32 0 0.74 0 41.6 0 41.6

Virginia...................... 71.0 124 16.0 6.52 9.39 74.2 0.02 6.56 0 1.55 0 299 9.97 309

Washington................ 471 113 798 19.2 86.4 99.4 0 13.4 0 1.57 0 1,600 0 1,600

West Virginia............. 34.2 30.9 0.05 1.66 11.7 35.1 3.80 5.53 1.02 1.40 0 121 4.82 125

Wisconsin.................. 261 78.4 256 65.8 25.5 54.3 0 10.9 0 2.78 0 754 0 754

Wyoming................... 51.5 8.55 437 6.14 2.10 4.92 0 37.1 67.1 2.29 0 550 67.1 617

Puerto Rico................ 87.3 2.41 22.4 5.57 0.01 4.30 0 1.43 0.32 1.17 0 125 0.32 125

U.S. Virgin Islands.... 0.91 0 0 0.01 0 0.22 0 0 0 0 0 1.14 0 1.14

TOTAL 15,700 3,540 49,500 1,200 1,820 2,900 48.4 1,120 2,790 587 134 76,000 3,290 79,300
Total Water Use 15

Table 4B. Groundwater withdrawals by water-use category, 2010, in thousand acre-feet per year. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State Public

supply

Selfsupplied

domestic

Irrigation Livestock

Aquaculture

Self-supplied

industrial Mining Thermoelectric

power

Total

Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Total

Alabama .................... 314 42.6 95.2 13.1 36.4 38.1 0 14.3 0 0 0 554 0 554

Alaska ....................... 30.5 15.9 1.76 0.11 481 3.79 0 0.01 162 2.45 0 536 162 698

Arizona...................... 656 30.5 1,900 30.2 44.3 14.5 0 97.1 0 86.6 0 2,860 0 2,860

Arkansas.................... 150 14.4 8,270 17.4 203 62.9 5.66 0.20 0 4.78 0 8,720 5.66 8,730

California .................. 3,170 160 9,740 94.6 192 448 0 27.0 265 37.1 54.3 13,800 413 14,200

Colorado.................... 146 42.5 1,450 28.1 25.8 3.87 0 6.12 21.8 18.8 0 1,720 21.8 1,750

Connecticut ............... 151 73.3 0.95 1.13 7.48 7.04 0 1.03 0 0 0 242 0 242

Delaware ................... 50.2 16.6 96.5 1.47 0.07 9.45 0 0.49 0 0.41 0 175 0 175

District of Columbia 0 0 0.06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.06 0 0.06

Florida ....................... 2,260 240 1,770 21.4 2.09 185 0 88.3 0 48.7 7.33 4,450 173 4,620

Georgia...................... 272 129 713 2.67 4.39 231 0 21.6 0 3.27 0 1,380 0 1,380

Hawaii....................... 289 2.07 113 0.71 2.40 5.19 0 1.57 0 59.6 56.9 474 56.9 531

Idaho ......................... 237 88.6 4,280 43.2 73.6 36.5 0 1.43 0 0.99 0 4,760 0 4,760

Illinois....................... 411 104 233 40.4 5.36 139 0 17.4 28.6 6.33 0 956 28.6 985

Indiana....................... 394 141 110 29.4 7.40 92.1 0 5.07 0 27.5 0 807 0 807

Iowa........................... 346 43.0 46.7 114 16.2 137 0 1.72 0 23.7 0 729 0 729

Kansas....................... 179 16.7 3,230 102 4.90 37.6 0 10.5 0 12.5 0 3,590 0 3,590

Kentucky................... 79.5 22.1 1.85 2.48 0.59 91.2 0 8.74 0 17.2 0 224 0 224

Louisiana................... 424 52.7 751 4.65 221 259 0 5.96 0 46.0 0 1,760 0 1,760

Maine ........................ 31.0 37.0 2.81 1.92 28.9 7.33 0 1.28 0 1.08 0 111 0 111

Maryland................... 100 95.9 59.9 6.75 5.67 12.7 0 8.13 0 2.52 0 292 0 292

Massachusetts ........... 214 42.5 132 1.01 8.10 4.80 0 2.04 0 0.24 0 404 0 404

Michigan ................... 229 259 164 19.9 4.72 84.1 0 11.4 0.64 4.62 0 777 0.64 778

Minnesota.................. 396 88.5 191 66.5 1.89 69.3 0 9.33 0 2.62 0 826 0 826

Mississippi ................ 391 50.0 2,200 8.24 127 87.2 0 9.23 14.1 56.1 7.90 2,930 22.0 2,950

Missouri .................... 328 69.3 1,520 20.6 11.7 38.4 0 27.4 0 22.3 0 2,030 0 2,030

Montana .................... 73.5 23.8 142 13.8 2.75 41.3 0 1.94 20.9 0.95 0 300 20.9 321

Nebraska ................... 263 49.3 4,820 104 6.80 32.3 0 0.1 0.15 5.89 0 5,280 0.15 5,280

Nevada ...................... 149 33.4 732 5.67 11.9 0.78 0 383 1.06 20.1 12.3 1,340 13.4 1,350

New Hampshire ........ 38.9 37.4 1.40 0.75 9.07 11.9 0 0.01 0 1.14 0 101 0 101

New Jersey................ 446 110 75.8 1.10 10.3 39.0 0 1.94 0 1.76 0 686 0 686

New Mexico.............. 236 28.9 1,390 36.7 17.7 11.5 0 30.7 0 10.8 0 1,760 0 1,760

New York .................. 512 171 33.9 16.3 3.77 40.2 0 9.35 0 2.68 0 789 0 789

North Carolina .......... 218 259 98.9 63.8 12.9 94.0 0 31.1 0 0.41 0 778 0 778

North Dakota............. 34.2 4.13 86.9 14.5 0 6.47 0 9.79 15.3 0 0 156 15.3 171

Ohio........................... 510 151 19.2 8.63 17.2 221 0 88.6 0 25.8 0 1,040 0 1,040

Oklahoma.................. 146 30.1 481 36.4 3.64 7.24 0 5.32 1,570 1.41 0 712 1,570 2,280

Oregon....................... 128 67.3 2,140 3.36 37.4 2.94 0 8.37 0 1.66 0 2,390 0 2,390

Pennsylvania ............. 254 225 8.28 51.1 53.7 82.7 0 57.7 0 5.03 0 737 0 737

Rhode Island ............. 17.7 8.99 2.58 0.19 6.28 4.67 0 0.48 0 0 0 40.9 0 40.9

South Carolina .......... 128 129 75.9 5.86 2.24 25.5 0 7.50 0 5.45 0 380 0 380

South Dakota............. 83.3 6.02 221 21.4 27.9 7.68 0 8.09 0 3.74 0 380 0 380

Tennessee .................. 337 43.4 49.6 15.8 17.3 53.3 0 7.72 0 2.00 0 526 0 526

Texas......................... 1,270 290 5,710 147 10.2 121 2.29 136 908 43.5 0 7,650 991 8,640

Utah........................... 408 9.46 554 8.71 109 34.9 42.1 2.90 46.6 26.9 11.7 1,150 104 1,250

Vermont..................... 15.6 15.3 0.86 4.73 6.69 2.24 0 0.36 0 0.83 0 46.6 0 46.6

Virginia...................... 79.6 139 18.0 7.31 10.5 83.2 0.02 7.35 0 1.74 0 335 11.2 346

Washington................ 528 126 894 21.5 96.9 111 0 15.0 0 1.76 0 1,800 0 1,800

West Virginia............. 38.3 34.6 0.06 1.86 13.1 39.4 4.26 6.20 1.14 1.57 0 135 5.40 141

Wisconsin.................. 292 87.8 287 73.7 28.6 60.9 0 12.3 0 3.12 0 845 0 845

Wyoming................... 57.7 9.58 490 6.88 2.35 5.52 0 41.6 75.2 2.57 0 616 75.2 692

Puerto Rico................ 97.9 2.70 25.1 6.24 0.01 4.82 0 1.60 0.36 1.31 0 140 0.36 140

U.S. Virgin Islands.... 1.02 0 0 0.01 0 0.25 0 0 0 0 0 1.28 0 1.28

TOTAL 17,600 3,970 55,400 1,350 2,030 3,250 54.3 1,250 3,130 658 150 85,200 3,690 88,900
Figure 2. Total water withdrawals by State and barchart showing categories by State from west to east, 2010.

EXPLANATION

Water withdrawals,

 in million gallons 

 per day

0 to 2,000

2,001 to 5,000

5,001 to 10,000

10,001 to 20,000

20,001 to 38,000

Figure 2. Total withdrawals

Louisiana

New Hampshire

Florida

Idaho

Washington

Oregon

Nevada

California

New Mexico

Texas

Utah

Arizona

Nebraska

Montana North Dakota

Wyoming

Colorado

Oklahoma

Kansas

South Dakota

Arkansas

Missouri

Georgia

Michigan

Iowa

Alabama

Tennessee

Mississippi

North

Carolina

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Indiana Illinois

Kentucky

South

Carolina

Ohio

 West

Virginia

Virginia

Maryland

District of Columbia

Delaware

Massachusetts

Maine

New York

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

Connecticut

Rhode Island

Vermont

Alaska

Hawaii

Puerto 

Rico

Lake Superior

Lake Michigan

Lake Ontario

Lake Erie

Lake Huron

U.S.

Virgin 

Islands

Total withdrawals

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

Public supply

Other

Irrigation

Industrial

Thermoelectric power

EXPLANATION

Hawaii Alaska

Oregon

Washington

California Nevada Idaho

ArizonaUtah

Montana

Wyoming

New Mexico Colorado

North Dakota

South Dakota Nebraska Texas

Kansas

Oklahoma

MinnesotaIowa

Missouri

Louisiana Arkansas

Wisconsin

Mississippi

Illinois

Alabama

Tennessee Indiana

Kentucky

Michigan Georgia

Ohio

Florida South Carolina West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia Pennsylvania

MarylandD.C. New York Delaware

New Jersey

Connecticut Vermont Massachusetts

Rhode Island

New Hampshire Maine Puerto Rico

U.S. Virgin Islands

Total withdrawals, in million gallons per day

WEST EAST

16 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010
Figure 3. Surface-water and groundwater, and freshwater and saline-water withdrawals, 2010.

Freshwater withdrawals Saline-water withdrawals

Figure 3. Total withdrawals surface water/groundwater

Surface-water withdrawals Groundwater withdrawals

EXPLANATION

Water withdrawals, in million

 gallons per day

0

>0 to 2,000

2,001 to 5,000

5,001 to 10,000

10,001 to 20,000

20,001 to 31,200

EXPLANATION

Water withdrawals, in million 

 gallons per day

0 to 2,000

2,001 to 5,000

5,001 to 10,000

10,001 to 20,000

20,001 to 38,000

Total Water Use 17
Public supply water tanks, Yuma, Arizona. Photo by Saeid Tadayon, USGS.

12 percent

18 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Public Supply 42,000 million gallons per day

Public supply refers to water withdrawn by public and 

private water suppliers that provide water to at least 25 people 

or have a minimum of 15 connections. Public-supply water is 

delivered to users for domestic, commercial, and industrial

purposes, and also is used for public services and 

system losses.

Approximately 42,000 Mgal/d (table 5), or 47,100 thousand acre-ft/yr (table 2B), of water were withdrawn for public 

supply in 2010. This amount is 5 percent less than the estimated amount of water withdrawn for public supply in 2005. 

Public supply represents about 14 percent of total freshwater 

withdrawals and 22 percent of all withdrawals excluding 

thermoelectric power. In some States, public-supply water 

sources include 

desalinated 

seawater or 

brackish groundwater that has been 

treated to reduce 

dissolved solids. A 

combined total of 

23.5 Mgal/d saline 

surface-water 

withdrawals for 

public-supply use 

were reported in 

Florida, the U.S. 

Virgin Islands, 

Massachusetts, and 

Texas. A combined 

total of 317 Mgal/d 

saline groundwater 

withdrawals for 

public-supply use 

were identified in Florida, California, Texas, Virginia, and 

Utah. Because these saline withdrawals were identified for 

only seven States and represent less than 1 percent of total 

public-supply withdrawals, they are not listed separately 

in table 5 but were included in the calculations.

An estimated 268 million people relied on publicsupply water for their household use in 2010. This number 

represents about 86 percent of the total U.S. population. 

About 35 percent of all public-supply withdrawals were 

in the four States with the largest populations: California, 

Texas, New York, and Florida (fig. 4). Sixty-three percent of 

water withdrawn for public supply in 2010 was from surface 

sources, such as lakes and streams; the other 37 percent was 

from groundwater. 

Five States—California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, 

and Illinois—each withdrew more than 1,000 Mgal/d of 

surface water for public supply in 2010 and together accounted 

for 40 percent of the total surface-water withdrawals for public 

supply. In 36 States, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. 

Virgin Islands, surface-water sources provided more than

half of the total public-supply withdrawals.

Three States — California, Florida, and Texas — each 

withdrew more than 1,000 Mgal/d of groundwater for 

public supply in 2010 and accounted for 38 percent of total 

groundwater withdrawals for public supply. States that relied 

on groundwater for 75 percent or more of their public-supply 

withdrawals were Hawaii, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, 

Nebraska, and Iowa. 

Most of the public-supply withdrawals are delivered to 

customers for domestic, commercial, and industrial needs. 

Part of the total is used for public services, such as public 

pools, parks, 

firefighting, water 

and wastewater 

treatment, and 

municipal buildings, 

and some is 

unaccounted for 

because of leaks, 

flushing, tower 

maintenance, and 

other system losses. 

Domestic deliveries 

represent the largest 

single component 

of public-supply 

withdrawals, 

averaging 

57 percent of the 

total nationally.

Estimates of publicsupply deliveries to 

domestic use, representing indoor and outdoor water uses at 

occupied residences, are identified in table 5. Estimates for 

commercial and industrial deliveries, public use, and system 

losses were not available for all States and, therefore, are 

included in table 5 as an aggregate number.

Methods for estimating public-supply withdrawals, source 

of water, population served, and domestic deliveries varied by 

State. Common sources of information about withdrawals by 

source included data collected from water suppliers by State 

water regulatory agencies or through surveys. Estimates of 

the population served by public supply were derived using 

various sources, including reports from State agencies, the 

EPA SDWIS database, U.S. Census data, and information 

on service connections from public suppliers. Methods for 

estimating domestic deliveries included surveys of publicsupply sales information, calculations using coefficients for 

per capita use, and development of average percentages of 

deliveries to various customer categories.
Public Supply 19

Table 5. Public-supply water withdrawals, 2010. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding; Mgal/d, million gallons per day; n/a, not applicable]

State

Population (in thousands) Withdrawals (in Mgal/d) Public-supply deliveries

Total

Served by public supply By source

Total Domestic use 

(in Mgal/d)

Domestic use

(in percent)

All other uses 

and system 

losses (in Mgal/d) Population Population

(in percent)

GroundwaterSurface

water

Alabama .................... 4,780 4,240 89 280 551 831 327 39 504

Alaska ....................... 710 450 63 27.2 51.8 79.0 49.2 62 29.9

Arizona...................... 6,390 6,170 97 585 628 1,210 912 75 301

Arkansas.................... 2,920 2,770 95 134 295 429 295 69 133

California .................. 37,300 34,800 93 2,830 3,470 6,300 3,870 61 2,430

Colorado.................... 5,030 4,720 94 130 717 848 521 61 327

Connecticut ............... 3,570 2,700 76 135 292 427 203 47 224

Delaware ................... 898 713 79 44.8 33.3 78.1 57.0 73 21.0

District of Columbia 602 602 100 0 0 0 74.9 n/a n/a

Florida....................... 18,800 16,900 90 2,010 256 2,270 1,430 63 838

Georgia...................... 9,690 8,160 84 243 873 1,120 651 58 465

Hawaii....................... 1,360 1,300 96 258 15.8 274 188 69 86.0

Idaho ......................... 1,570 1,140 72 212 27.1 239 184 77 54.2

Illinois....................... 12,800 11,700 91 367 1,140 1,500 934 62 571

Indiana....................... 6,480 4,830 74 351 304 656 367 56 289

Iowa........................... 3,050 2,450 81 309 84.3 393 160 41 233

Kansas....................... 2,850 2,700 95 160 231 391 194 50 197

Kentucky................... 4,340 3,680 85 71.0 501 572 257 45 315

Louisiana................... 4,530 3,950 87 378 368 746 426 57 321

Maine ........................ 1,330 768 58 27.7 63.6 91.3 39.4 43 51.9

Maryland................... 5,770 4,700 81 89.2 701 790 506 64 283

Massachusetts ........... 6,550 6,010 92 191 489 679 385 57 294

Michigan ................... 9,880 7,210 73 204 883 1,090 548 50 540

Minnesota.................. 5,300 4,180 79 353 188 542 248 46 294

Mississippi ................ 2,970 2,520 85 349 46.3 395 252 64 143

Missouri .................... 5,990 5,110 85 293 543 836 467 56 369

Montana .................... 989 704 71 65.6 72.4 138 83.2 60 54.7

Nebraska ................... 1,830 1,480 81 234 61.4 296 130 44 165

Nevada ...................... 2,700 2,540 94 133 448 581 331 57 250

New Hampshire ........ 1,320 871 66 34.7 56.6 91.2 58.6 64 32.6

New Jersey................ 8,790 7,830 89 398 682 1,080 605 56 475

New Mexico.............. 2,060 1,760 85 211 72.4 283 160 57 123

New York .................. 19,400 17,300 89 457 1,810 2,260 1,370 61 889

North Carolina .......... 9,540 6,230 65 194 766 960 436 45 524

North Dakota............. 673 623 93 30.5 38.3 68.8 49.9 72 19.0

Ohio........................... 11,500 9,710 84 455 918 1,370 619 45 755

Oklahoma.................. 3,750 3,440 92 130 527 657 292 44 365

Oregon....................... 3,830 3,220 84 114 420 534 365 68 169

Pennsylvania ............. 12,700 9,360 74 226 1,200 1,420 548 38 877

Rhode Island ............. 1,050 940 89 15.8 92.2 108 67.6 63 40.4

South Carolina .......... 4,630 3,470 75 114 504 619 347 56 271

South Dakota............. 814 739 91 74.3 49.9 124 70.7 57 53.5

Tennessee .................. 6,350 5,810 92 301 618 918 470 51 448

Texas......................... 25,100 22,700 90 1,130 2,860 3,990 2,050 51 1,940

Utah........................... 2,760 2,710 98 364 309 673 453 67 220

Vermont..................... 626 444 71 14.0 29.2 43.1 26.3 61 16.8

Virginia...................... 8,000 6,350 79 71.0 594 665 476 72 188

Washington................ 6,720 5,720 85 471 439 910 634 70 276

West Virginia............. 1,850 1,460 79 34.2 155 189 117 62 72.4

Wisconsin.................. 5,690 4,040 71 261 221 481 211 44 270

Wyoming................... 564 450 80 51.5 47.5 99.0 72.9 74 26.1

Puerto Rico................ 3,730 3,690 99 87.3 590 677 230 34 447

U.S. Virgin Islands.... 106 69.0 65 0.91 4.95 5.86 3.67 63 2.19

TOTAL 313,000 268,000 86 15,700 26,300 42,000 23,800 57 18,200
Figure 4. Public-supply withdrawals by source and State, 2010.

EXPLANATION

Water withdrawals,

 in million gallons 

 per day

0 to 200

201 to 500

501 to 1,000

1,001 to 2,000

2,001 to 6,300

Louisiana

New Hampshire

Florida

Idaho

Washington

Oregon

Nevada

California

New Mexico

Texas

Utah

Arizona

Nebraska

Montana North Dakota

Wyoming

Colorado

Oklahoma

Kansas

South Dakota

Arkansas

Missouri

Georgia

Michigan

Iowa

Alabama

Tennessee

Mississippi

North

Carolina

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Indiana Illinois

Kentucky

South

Carolina

Ohio

 West

Virginia 

Virginia

Massachusetts

Maine

New York

Pennsylvania Connecticut

Rhode Island

Vermont

Alaska

Hawaii

Maryland

Delaware

New Jersey

District of Columbia

Lake Superior

Lake Michigan

Lake Ontario

Lake Erie

Lake Huron

Puerto 

Rico

U.S.

Virgin 

Islands

Total withdrawals

Surface-water withdrawals Groundwater withdrawals

Total withdrawals, in

million gallons per day

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

Hawaii Alaska

Oregon

Washington

California Nevada Idaho

ArizonaUtah

Montana

Wyoming

New Mexico Colorado

North Dakota

South Dakota Nebraska Texas

Kansas

Oklahoma

MinnesotaIowa

Missouri

Louisiana Arkansas

Wisconsin

Mississippi

Illinois

Alabama

Tennessee

Indiana

Kentucky

Michigan Georgia

Ohio

Florida South Carolina West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia Pennsylvania

MarylandD.C. New York Delaware

New Jersey

Connecticut Vermont Massachusetts

Rhode Island

New Hampshire Maine Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands

WEST EAST

Figuire 4. Public supply

20 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010
Figure 5. Total domestic 

water use from public-supply 

deliveries and self-supplied 

withdrawals, 2010.

Self-supplied

withdrawals

3,600 Mgal/d

13 percent

Public-supply deliveries

23,800 Mgal/d

87 percent

1 percent

Domestic 21

3,600 million gallons per day (self-supplied)

23,800 million gallons per day (public-supply deliveries) Domestic

Domestic water use includes indoor and outdoor uses at 

residences. Common indoor water uses are drinking, food 

preparation, washing clothes and dishes, and flushing toilets. 

Common outdoor uses are watering lawns and gardens or 

maintaining pools, ponds, or other landscape features in a 

domestic environment. Domestic water is either self-supplied 

or provided by public suppliers. Self-supplied domestic 

water use is typically withdrawn from a private 

source, such as a well, or captured as rainwater in 

a cistern. Domestic deliveries are provided to 

homes by public suppliers. Figure 5 illustrates the proportions of total domestic water 

from public-supply deliveries and selfsupply domestic withdrawals.

Table 6 lists the estimated self-supplied 

and public-supplied population in each 

State, as well as the amounts used by each 

segment of the population for domestic needs 

and the respective per capita use in gallons per 

day (gallons per capita daily, gpcd). Domestic 

self-supplied withdrawals and public-supplied 

deliveries also are combined in table 6 to show 

the total estimated domestic use in 2010 and the 

weighted per capita use in gallons per day calculated for all domestic use. 

An estimated 44.5 million people in the United 

States, or 14 percent of the population, provided their own 

water for domestic use in 2010. These self-supplied withdrawals were estimated at 3,600 Mgal/d (4,040 thousand 

acre-ft/yr), or about 1 percent of total withdrawals for all uses 

in 2010. Nearly all (98 percent) of these self-supplied withdrawals were from fresh groundwater sources. Self-supplied 

domestic withdrawals are rarely metered or reported; typically this usage is calculated by multiplying an estimate of the 

population not served by public supply by a coefficient for 

daily per capita use. For some States, these coefficients were 

county-specific averages derived from observed residential 

water use and population estimates in nearby areas served by 

public suppliers. Other States used the same coefficient for all 

counties, commonly one used by State regulatory or planning 

agencies. Self-supplied domestic per capita use ranged from 

48 gpcd in Wisconsin to 189 gpcd in Nevada. Generally, per 

capita use is least in the Northern and Eastern States and 

greatest in the Mountain and Western States where outdoor 

watering is more common. The national average selfsupplied domestic per capita use in 2010 was 

81 gpcd (table 6). 

The majority of people in the United 

States used water provided by public 

suppliers. Domestic deliveries by public 

water suppliers totaled 23,800 Mgal/d 

in 2010 and represented water provided 

to 268 million people at single-family 

and multifamily dwellings. Per capita 

water use for domestic deliveries ranged 

from 51 gpcd in Maine to 167 gpcd in 

Utah. The national average was 89 gpcd for 

public-supplied domestic water use. This per 

capita usage is less than the rate of 101 gpcd 

observed in 1995 and 100 gpcd in 2005. 

Domestic deliveries from public supply 

were not compiled nationally in 2000.

Combined self-supplied domestic 

withdrawals and public-supply deliveries 

totaled 27,400 Mgal/d in 2010, and the national average per 

capita usage was 88 gpcd. The corresponding average per 

capita use for total domestic use in 2005 was 98 gpcd. The 

geographic distribution of total domestic water use by State is 

shown in figure 6A. Self-supplied domestic population in each 

State, in thousands of people and as a percentage of total State 

population, are shown in figure 6B. Self-supplied domestic 

populations were largest in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, 

and Michigan. States with the largest percentages of their 

population that were selfsupplied were Maine, Alaska, 

and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Domestic water use in the bathroom (left, photo used with permission from 

Tyrrell and Laning International, Inc.) and in the kitchen (right, photos from 

Wikimedia Commons). 
22 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Table 6. Domestic water withdrawals and deliveries, 2010.

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding; Mgal/d, million gallons per day; gal/d, gallons per day]

State

Self-supplied domestic Public supply Total use

Selfsupplied 

population 

(in thousands)

Percent 

of total 

population

Withdrawals (in Mgal/d) Selfsupplied 

per capita 

use 

(in gal/d)

Population 

served

(in thousands)

Publicsupply 

deliveries to 

domestic use 

(in Mgal/d)

Publicsupply

per capita 

use 

(in gal/d)

Total

population 

(in thousands)

Water use 

(withdrawals 

and 

deliveries, 

in Mgal/d)

Total 

domestic 

per capita 

use 

(in gal/d)

By source

Total Groundwater

Surface 

water

Alabama .................... 539 11 38.0 0 38.0 70 4,240 327 77 4,780 365 76

Alaska ....................... 260 37 14.1 0.66 14.8 57 450 49.2 109 710 64.0 90

Arizona...................... 218 3 27.2 0 27.2 125 6,170 912 148 6,390 939 147

Arkansas.................... 144 5 12.8 0 12.8 89 2,770 295 107 2,920 308 106

California .................. 2,480 7 142 29.4 172 69 34,800 3,870 111 37,300 4,040 108

Colorado.................... 312 6 37.9 0 37.9 122 4,720 521 110 5,030 559 111

Connecticut ............... 871 24 65.4 0 65.4 75 2,700 203 75 3,570 268 75

Delaware ................... 185 21 14.8 0 14.8 80 713 57.0 80 898 71.8 80

District of Columbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 602 74.9 125 602 74.9 125

Florida....................... 1,910 10 214 0 214 112 16,900 1,430 85 18,800 1,640 87

Georgia...................... 1,530 16 115 0 115 75 8,160 651 80 9,690 765 79

Hawaii....................... 55.7 4 1.85 6.17 8.02 144 1,300 188 144 1,360 196 144

Idaho ......................... 432 28 79.0 0 79.0 183 1,140 184 162 1,570 263 168

Illinois....................... 1,160 9 92.4 0 92.4 80 11,700 934 80 12,800 1,030 80

Indiana....................... 1,660 26 126 0 126 76 4,830 367 76 6,480 493 76

Iowa........................... 591 19 38.4 0 38.4 65 2,450 160 65 3,050 198 65

Kansas....................... 151 5 14.9 0 14.9 99 2,700 194 72 2,850 209 73

Kentucky................... 664 15 19.7 13.5 33.2 50 3,680 257 70 4,340 290 67

Louisiana................... 588 13 47.0 0 47.0 80 3,950 426 108 4,530 473 104

Maine ........................ 561 42 33.0 0 33.0 59 768 39.4 51 1,330 72.4 55

Maryland................... 1,070 19 85.6 0 85.6 80 4,700 506 108 5,770 592 103

Massachusetts ........... 534 8 37.9 0 37.9 71 6,010 385 64 6,550 423 65

Michigan ................... 2,680 27 231 0 231 86 7,210 548 76 9,880 779 79

Minnesota.................. 1,130 21 79.0 0 79.0 70 4,180 248 59 5,300 327 62

Mississippi ................ 446 15 44.6 0 44.6 100 2,520 252 100 2,970 297 100

Missouri .................... 883 15 61.8 0 61.8 70 5,110 467 91 5,990 529 88

Montana .................... 285 29 21.2 1.04 22.2 78 704 83.2 118 989 105 107

Nebraska ................... 346 19 44.0 0 44.0 127 1,480 130 88 1,830 174 95

Nevada ...................... 158 6 29.8 0 29.8 189 2,540 331 130 2,700 361 134

New Hampshire ........ 446 34 33.3 0 33.3 75 871 58.6 67 1,320 92.0 70

New Jersey................ 964 11 98.3 0 98.3 102 7,830 605 77 8,790 703 80

New Mexico.............. 303 15 25.8 0 25.8 85 1,760 160 91 2,060 186 90

New York .................. 2,050 11 152 0 152 74 17,300 1,370 79 19,400 1,530 79

North Carolina .......... 3,300 35 231 0 231 70 6,230 436 70 9,540 668 70

North Dakota............. 49.4 7 3.68 0 3.68 75 623 49.9 80 673 53.6 80

Ohio........................... 1,830 16 134 2.75 137 75 9,710 619 64 11,500 756 66

Oklahoma.................. 316 8 26.8 0 26.8 85 3,440 292 85 3,750 319 85

Oregon....................... 607 16 60.0 7.07 67.1 111 3,220 365 113 3,830 432 113

Pennsylvania ............. 3,350 26 201 0 201 60 9,360 548 59 12,700 749 59

Rhode Island ............. 113 11 8.02 0 8.02 71 940 67.6 72 1,050 75.7 72

South Carolina .......... 1,150 25 115 0 115 100 3,470 347 100 4,630 463 100

South Dakota............. 75.6 9 5.37 0 5.37 71 739 70.7 96 814 76.1 93

Tennessee .................. 538 8 38.7 0 38.7 72 5,810 470 81 6,350 509 80

Texas......................... 2,440 10 259 0 259 106 22,700 2,050 90 25,100 2,310 92

Utah........................... 50.5 2 8.44 0 8.44 167 2,710 453 167 2,760 462 167

Vermont..................... 182 29 13.6 0 13.6 75 444 26.3 59 626 39.9 64

Virginia...................... 1,650 21 124 0 124 75 6,350 476 75 8,000 600 75

Washington................ 1,000 15 113 0.02 113 113 5,720 634 111 6,720 747 111

West Virginia............. 393 21 30.9 0.63 31.5 80 1,460 117 80 1,850 148 80

Wisconsin.................. 1,640 29 78.4 0 78.4 48 4,040 211 52 5,690 290 51

Wyoming................... 114 20 8.55 0 8.55 75 450 72.9 162 564 81.4 144

Puerto Rico................ 38.0 1 2.41 0 2.41 63 3,690 230 62 3,730 232 62

U.S. Virgin Islands.... 37.4 35 0 2.67 2.67 71 69.0 3.67 53 106 6.34 60

TOTAL 44,500 14 3,540 63.9 3,600 81 268,000 23,800 89 313,000 27,400 88
Figure 6A. Domestic withdrawals and deliveries by State, 2010.

EXPLANATION

Water withdrawals

 and/or deliveries,

 in million gallons 

 per day

0 to 50

51 to 250

251 to 500

501 to 1,000

1,001 to 4,040

Total self-supplied withdrawals Total deliveries

Louisiana

New Hampshire

Florida

Idaho

Washington

Oregon

Nevada

California

New Mexico

Texas

Utah

Arizona

Nebraska

Montana North Dakota

Wyoming

Colorado

Oklahoma

Kansas

South Dakota

Arkansas

Missouri

Georgia

Michigan

Iowa

Alabama

Tennessee

Mississippi

North

Carolina

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Indiana Illinois

Kentucky

South

Carolina

Ohio

 West

Virginia 

Virginia

Maryland

District of Columbia

Delaware

Massachusetts

Maine

New York

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

Connecticut

Rhode Island

Vermont

Alaska

Hawaii

Lake Superior

Lake Michigan

Lake Ontario

Lake Erie

Lake Huron

Puerto 

Rico

U.S.

Virgin 

Islands

Total withdrawals and deliveries

Total withdrawals and deliveries,

 in million gallons per day

Hawaii Alaska

Oregon

Washington

California Nevada Idaho

ArizonaUtah

Montana

Wyoming

New Mexico Colorado

North Dakota

South Dakota Nebraska Texas

Kansas

Oklahoma

MinnesotaIowa

Missouri

Louisiana Arkansas

Wisconsin

Mississippi

Illinois

Alabama

Tennessee

Indiana

Kentucky

Michigan Georgia

Ohio

Florida South Carolina West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia Pennsylvania

MarylandD.C. New York Delaware

New Jersey

Connecticut Vermont Massachusetts

Rhode Island

New Hampshire Maine Puerto Rico

U.S. Virgin Islands

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

Figure 6A. Domestic

WEST EAST

Domestic 23
Figure 6B. Self-supplied domestic population and percentage of total population by State, 2010.

EXPLANATION

Domestic self-supplied 

 population, in thousands

0 to 100 

101 to 500

501 to 1,000

1,001 to 3,350

EXPLANATION

Domestic self-supplied 

 population, as a 

 percentage of total

 State population

0 to 10

11 to 30

31 to 42

Self-supplied domestic population

Self-supplied domestic population as a 

percentage of the total State population

Louisiana

New Hampshire

Florida

Idaho

Washington

Oregon

Nevada

California

New Mexico

Texas

Utah

Arizona

Nebraska

Montana North Dakota

Wyoming

Colorado

Oklahoma

Kansas

South Dakota

Arkansas

Missouri

Georgia

Michigan

Iowa

Alabama

Tennessee

Mississippi

North

Carolina

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Indiana Illinois

Kentucky

South

Carolina

Ohio

 West

Virginia 

Virginia

Maryland

District of Columbia

Delaware

Massachusetts

Maine

New York

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

Connecticut

Rhode Island

Vermont

Alaska

Hawaii

Lake Superior

Lake Michigan

Lake Ontario

Lake Erie

Lake Huron

Puerto 

Rico

U.S.

Virgin 

Islands

Figure 6B. Total self supply

24 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010
33 percent

Irrigation 25

Irrigation 115,000 million gallons per day

supplemental water. Surface water was the primary source of 

water in the arid West, except in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, 

Texas, and South Dakota, where more groundwater was used. 

The 17 Western States cumulatively accounted for 93 percent 

of total surface-water irrigation withdrawals and 69 percent of 

total groundwater irrigation withdrawals. 

Because the 17 Western States accounted for the majority 

of total irrigation withdrawals, changes in those States had a 

great effect on the overall total. Total irrigation withdrawals 

declined noticeably in Nebraska, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, 

and California. Groundwater irrigation withdrawals declined in 

the West and increased in the East, and surface-water irrigation 

withdrawals declined in both regions. Total irrigated acres 

increased in both regions —1 percent (568 thousand acres) in 

the West, and 2 percent (381 thousand acres) in the East. In the 

West, the total number of acres irrigated by the less-efficient 

surface-irrigation methods decreased by about 500 thousand 

acres, and the number of acres irrigated by more efficient 

sprinkler (including microirrigation) methods increased by 

about 1,080 thousand acres. 

Average application rates are calculated as a function of 

total irrigation withdrawals and total irrigated acres. The 

highest application rates are found in arid Western States, 

where more surface water than groundwater is used for irrigation and water typically is conveyed longer distances in canals 

between the points of diversion and use. Among the Western 

States, cumulatively, more lands were irrigated with sprinkler 

(including microirrigation) systems than surface methods, 

and land using the microirrigation system are increasing at a 

faster rate than the other two types of systems. Several States 

that used the large quantities of water for irrigation in 2010, 

such as California, Idaho, Colorado, Texas, and Nebraska, 

showed declines in application rates from 2005 levels, and in 

all of these States the number of acres irrigated by sprinkler or 

microirrigation systems increased in 2010. 

Sources of data for irrigation withdrawals and irrigated acres 

included State and Federal crop reporting programs, irrigation 

districts, canal companies, incorporated management areas, and 

satellite data depicting 2010 cropland landscapes. Withdrawals 

also were estimated using information on irrigated crop 

acreages by crop type and specific crop water-consumption 

coefficients, or irrigation-system application rates, as well as 

soil moisture balance models. Estimation methods varied from 

one State to the next and sometimes between geographic areas 

within a State. Estimation methods ideally included adjustments for climate, system efficiencies, conveyance losses, and 

other irrigation practices such as pre-irrigation, salt leaching, 

or frost protection. Other methods for estimating irrigation 

withdrawals included extrapolation of sample data on crop 

water-application rates or power-consumption coefficients. 

Irrigation water use includes water that is applied by an 

irrigation system to sustain plant growth in all agricultural 

and horticultural practices. Irrigation also includes water 

that is used for pre-irrigation, frost protection, application 

of chemicals, weed control, field preparation, crop cooling, 

harvesting, dust suppression, and leaching salts from the root 

zone. Estimates of irrigation withdrawals include water that 

is lost in conveyance prior to application on fields as well as 

water that may subsequently return to a surface-water body 

as runoff after application, water consumed as evapotranspiration (ET) from plants and ground surfaces, or water that 

recharges aquifers as it seeps past the root zone. Irrigation of 

golf courses, parks, nurseries, turf farms, cemeteries, and other 

self-supplied landscape-watering uses also are included in the 

estimates. Irrigation water use includes self-supplied withdrawals and deliveries from irrigation companies or districts, 

cooperatives, or governmental entities. Some irrigation water 

is reclaimed wastewater from nearby treatment facilities or 

industries although these quantities are not included in irrigation withdrawals reported here. All irrigation withdrawals are 

considered freshwater. Irrigated acres are reported by three 

types of irrigation methods: sprinkler, microirrigation, and 

surface (flood) systems. 

Irrigation withdrawals and irrigated acres by type of 

irrigation system are listed by State in table 7. For 2010, 

total irrigation withdrawals were 115,000 Mgal/d, or 

129,000 thousand acre-ft/yr, which accounted for 38 percent 

of total freshwater withdrawals and 61 percent of total freshwater withdrawals for all categories excluding thermoelectric 

power. Total irrigation withdrawals were 9 percent less 

than in 2005. Withdrawals from surface-water sources were 

65,900 Mgal/d, which accounted for 57 percent of the total 

irrigation withdrawals, and were almost 12 percent less than in 

2005. Groundwater withdrawals for 2010 were 49,500 Mgal/d, 

or 6 percent less than in 2005. 

 About 62,400 thousand acres were irrigated in 2010, an 

increase of about 950 thousand acres (1.5 percent) from 2005. 

About 31,600 thousand acres (51 percent) were irrigated with 

sprinkler systems, 26,200 thousand acres with surface (flood), 

and 4,610 thousand acres with microirrigation systems. The 

national average application rate for 2010 was 2.07 acrefeet per acre, or 11 percent less than the 2005 average of 

2.32 acre-feet per acre.

The geographic distribution of total, surface-water, and 

groundwater withdrawals for irrigation is shown in figure 7. 

The majority of total U.S. irrigation withdrawals (83 percent) 

and irrigated acres (74 percent) were in the 17 conterminous 

Western States (west of solid line in figure 7), which are 

typical of areas where average annual precipitation is less than 

20 inches and generally insufficient to support crops without 
26 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Table 7. Irrigation water withdrawals, 2010. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State

Irrigated land

(in thousand acres)

Withdrawals

(in million gallons per day)

Withdrawals

(in thousand acre-feet per year)

Average

application 

rate

(in acre-feet 

per acre)

By type of irrigation

Total

By source

Total

By source

Total

Sprinkler Microirrigation Surface Groundwater

Surface 

water

GroundwaterSurface 

water

Alabama .................... 150 1.42 0.52 152 84.9 74.0 159 95.2 83.0 178 1.18

Alaska ....................... 3.10 0 0.07 3.17 1.57 0.02 1.59 1.76 0.02 1.78 0.56

Arizona...................... 195 28.1 770 993 1,690 2,880 4,570 1,900 3,220 5,120 5.16

Arkansas.................... 518 0 4,150 4,670 7,380 1,340 8,720 8,270 1,500 9,770 2.09

California .................. 1,790 2,890 5,670 10,400 8,690 14,400 23,100 9,740 16,100 25,800 2.50

Colorado.................... 1,410 0.20 1,930 3,340 1,300 8,420 9,710 1,450 9,440 10,900 3.26

Connecticut ............... 24.0 1.83 0 25.8 0.85 23.1 24.0 0.95 25.9 26.9 1.04

Delaware ................... 132 1.11 0 133 86.1 15.2 101 96.5 17.1 114 0.85

District of Columbia 0.32 0 0 0.32 0.05 0.05 0.10 0.06 0.06 0.11 0.35

Florida....................... 548 712 731 1,990 1,580 1,340 2,920 1,770 1,500 3,270 1.64

Georgia...................... 1,280 152 0 1,430 636 202 839 713 227 940 0.66

Hawaii....................... 11.2 158 0 169 101 223 323 113 249 363 2.14

Idaho ......................... 2,420 4.57 1,180 3,600 3,820 10,200 14,000 4,280 11,500 15,700 4.37

Illinois....................... 483 0 0 483 208 17.5 226 233 19.6 253 0.52

Indiana....................... 397 0 0 397 98.4 38.7 137 110 43.4 154 0.39

Iowa........................... 187 0 0 187 41.6 1.18 42.8 46.7 1.32 48.0 0.26

Kansas....................... 2,840 18.0 217 3,080 2,880 160 3,040 3,230 179 3,410 1.11

Kentucky................... 54.4 3.56 2.35 60.3 1.65 27.4 29.0 1.85 30.7 32.5 0.54

Louisiana................... 87.3 0 839 926 670 258 928 751 289 1,040 1.12

Maine ........................ 46.6 0.06 1.18 47.8 2.51 8.77 11.3 2.81 9.83 12.6 0.26

Maryland................... 102 3.43 0 105 53.4 18.6 72.1 59.9 20.9 80.8 0.77

Massachusetts ........... 26.2 2.02 12.0 40.3 118 21.4 139 132 24.0 156 3.87

Michigan ................... 477 27.2 1.54 506 147 62.6 209 164 70.1 235 0.46

Minnesota.................. 516 0 24.5 540 171 26.7 197 191 29.9 221 0.41

Mississippi ................ 409 0 1,380 1,790 1,960 133 2,090 2,200 149 2,350 1.31

Missouri .................... 544 2.08 760 1,310 1,350 49.6 1,400 1,520 55.6 1,570 1.20

Montana .................... 753 0.64 886 1,640 127 7,030 7,160 142 7,880 8,030 4.90

Nebraska ................... 6,370 0.57 2,360 8,730 4,300 1,360 5,660 4,820 1,520 6,340 0.73

Nevada ...................... 258 0.07 319 577 653 921 1,570 732 1,030 1,760 3.06

New Hampshire ........ 4.87 0.82 0.23 5.92 1.25 0.67 1.92 1.40 0.75 2.15 0.36

New Jersey................ 68.8 25.6 4.93 99.3 67.6 70.1 138 75.8 78.5 154 1.55

New Mexico.............. 461 19.6 397 878 1,240 1,460 2,700 1,390 1,640 3,020 3.44

New York .................. 81.1 24.6 2.77 108 30.2 40.2 70.4 33.9 45.0 78.9 0.73

North Carolina .......... 262 6.18 0 268 88.3 279 367 98.9 312 411 1.53

North Dakota............. 192 0 42.2 234 77.5 87.2 165 86.9 97.8 185 0.79

Ohio........................... 59.8 6.06 0 65.9 17.2 35.4 52.6 19.2 39.7 58.9 0.89

Oklahoma.................. 440 5.28 89.1 534 429 135 564 481 151 632 1.18

Oregon....................... 1,210 97.0 594 1,900 1,910 3,350 5,260 2,140 3,750 5,890 3.10

Pennsylvania ............. 53.0 15.1 0 68.1 7.39 19.8 27.1 8.28 22.1 30.4 0.45

Rhode Island ............. 4.93 1.24 0.02 6.19 2.30 0.39 2.69 2.58 0.44 3.02 0.49

South Carolina .......... 141 8.05 4.04 154 67.7 57.4 125 75.9 64.4 140 0.91

South Dakota............. 144 0 49.6 194 198 165 362 221 185 406 2.10

Tennessee .................. 74.0 9.80 7.98 91.8 44.3 27.6 71.9 49.6 31.0 80.6 0.88

Texas......................... 3,770 244 1,910 5,920 5,100 1,730 6,830 5,710 1,940 7,660 1.29

Utah........................... 625 1.45 710 1,340 494 2,730 3,220 554 3,060 3,610 2.70

Vermont..................... 2.98 0.69 0.31 3.98 0.77 1.68 2.45 0.86 1.88 2.75 0.69

Virginia...................... 102 14.6 0 117 16.0 45.4 61.4 18.0 50.8 68.8 0.59

Washington................ 1,270 86.1 221 1,580 798 2,350 3,150 894 2,630 3,530 2.24

West Virginia............. 2.52 0 1.09 3.61 0.05 0.04 0.09 0.06 0.04 0.10 0.03

Wisconsin.................. 356 0 50.3 406 256 123 379 287 138 425 1.04

Wyoming................... 184 4.12 893 1,080 437 3,930 4,370 490 4,410 4,900 4.53

Puerto Rico................ 8.17 32.7 0 40.8 22.4 15.7 38.2 25.1 17.6 42.8 1.05

U.S. Virgin Islands.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 31,600 4,610 26,200 62,400 49,500 65,900 115,000 55,400 73,900 129,000 2.07
Figure 7. Irrigation withdrawals by source and State, 2010.

EXPLANATION

Water withdrawals,

 in million gallons 

 per day

0 to 200

201 to 1,000

1,001 to 5,000

5,001 to 15,000

15,001 to 23,100

Louisiana

New Hampshire

Florida

Idaho

Washington

Oregon

Nevada

California

New Mexico

Texas

Utah

Arizona

Nebraska

Montana North Dakota

Wyoming

Colorado

Oklahoma

Kansas

South Dakota

Arkansas

Missouri

Georgia

Michigan

Iowa

Alabama

Tennessee

Mississippi

North

Carolina

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Indiana Illinois

Kentucky

South

Carolina

Ohio

 West

Virginia 

Virginia

Massachusetts

Maine

New York

Pennsylvania Connecticut

Rhode Island

Vermont

Alaska

Hawaii

Maryland

Delaware

New Jersey

District of Columbia

Lake Superior

Lake Michigan

Lake Ontario

Lake Erie

Lake Huron

Puerto 

Rico

U.S.

Virgin 

Islands

Total withdrawals

Figure 7. Irrigation

Surface-water withdrawals Groundwater withdrawals

West–East

division for

this report

Total withdrawals, in

million gallons per day

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

Hawaii Alaska

Oregon

Washington

California Nevada Idaho

ArizonaUtah

Montana

Wyoming

New Mexico Colorado

North Dakota

South Dakota Nebraska Texas

Kansas

Oklahoma

MinnesotaIowa

Missouri

Louisiana Arkansas

Wisconsin

Mississippi

Illinois

Alabama

Tennessee

Indiana

Kentucky

Michigan Georgia

Ohio

Florida South Carolina West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia Pennsylvania

MarylandD.C. New York

Delaware

New Jersey

Connecticut Vermont Massachusetts

Rhode Island

New Hampshire Maine Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands

WEST EAST

Irrigation 27
Stock ponds, Chase County, Kansas. Photo by Joan Kenny, USGS.

1 percent

28 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Livestock 2,000 million gallons per day

more than 100 Mgal/d for livestock and together accounted 

for 41 percent of total livestock withdrawals in 2010. Texas, 

Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and California each used more than 

80 Mgal/d of groundwater for livestock and accounted for 

42 percent of groundwater withdrawals for this use. Texas and 

California each used more than 100 Mgal/d of surface water 

for livestock, and accounted for 29 percent of surface-water 

withdrawals for livestock.

Few State agencies require livestock operations to report 

water withdrawals; therefore, most estimates of livestock 

withdrawals were derived using animal population data and 

water-use coefficients, in gallons per head per day for each 

animal type. Animal population data generally are available 

from State agricultural agencies and the NASS. Coefficients 

vary by State and, for many States, were provided by agricultural extension agents or water-permitting agencies. 

Coefficients may reflect facility maintenance needs and 

effects of climate on animal watering. Many of the 2010 withdrawals for livestock were estimated according to methods 

described by Lovelace (2009a), using livestock population 

data compiled for the NASS 2007 Census of Agriculture 

(Robert Hunt, National Agricultural Statistics Service, written 

commun., 2013) and water-use coefficients.

Livestock water use is water associated with livestock 

watering, feedlots, dairy operations, and other on-farm 

needs. Livestock includes dairy cows and heifers, beef cattle 

and calves, sheep and lambs, goats, hogs and pigs, horses, 

and poultry. Other livestock water uses include cooling of 

facilities for the animals and products, dairy sanitation and 

wash down of facilities, animal waste-disposal systems, and 

incidental water losses. All withdrawals were considered 

freshwater and self supplied. The livestock category excludes 

on-farm domestic use, lawn and garden watering, and irrigation water use. 

Livestock withdrawals for 2010 are listed by State in 

table 8. During 2010, withdrawals for livestock use were 

an estimated 2,000 Mgal/d, or 2,240 thousand acre-ft/yr 

(table 2B). Livestock withdrawals were about 1 percent of 

total freshwater withdrawals and about 1 percent of total 

freshwater withdrawals for all categories excluding thermoelectric power. Groundwater was the source for 60 percent 

of total livestock withdrawals. Estimated total livestock 

withdrawals for 2010 were 7 percent less than in 2005. 

The geographic distribution of total, surface-water, and 

groundwater livestock withdrawals is shown in figure 8. 

Texas, California, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas each used 
Livestock 29

Table 8. Livestock water withdrawals, 2010. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State

Withdrawals 

(in million gallons per day)

By source Total

Groundwater Surface water

Alabama .................... 11.7 14.8 26.5

Alaska ....................... 0.10 0.15 0.25

Arizona...................... 27.0 0 27.0

Arkansas.................... 15.6 23.4 39.0

California .................. 84.4 103 188

Colorado.................... 25.1 11.8 36.9

Connecticut ............... 1.01 0 1.01

Delaware ................... 1.31 0 1.31

District of Columbia 0 0 0

Florida....................... 19.1 2.22 21.3

Georgia...................... 2.38 26.9 29.3

Hawaii....................... 0.63 1.20 1.83

Idaho ......................... 38.5 9.01 47.5

Illinois....................... 36.0 0.03 36.1

Indiana....................... 26.2 13.0 39.2

Iowa........................... 102 33.8 136

Kansas....................... 91.0 23.0 114

Kentucky................... 2.21 41.6 43.8

Louisiana................... 4.15 3.88 8.03

Maine ........................ 1.71 0.58 2.29

Maryland................... 6.02 2.23 8.25

Massachusetts ........... 0.90 0.50 1.40

Michigan ................... 17.7 1.90 19.6

Minnesota.................. 59.3 0 59.3

Mississippi ................ 7.35 11.1 18.4

Missouri .................... 18.4 54.4 72.9

Montana .................... 12.4 29.5 41.8

Nebraska ................... 93.0 21.2 114

Nevada ...................... 5.06 0 5.06

New Hampshire ........ 0.67 0.22 0.89

New Jersey................ 0.98 0 0.98

New Mexico.............. 32.8 3.03 35.8

New York .................. 14.6 8.00 22.6

North Carolina .......... 56.9 15.0 72.0

North Dakota............. 12.9 8.62 21.6

Ohio........................... 7.70 16.3 24.0

Oklahoma.................. 32.5 56.3 88.8

Oregon....................... 3.00 14.0 17.0

Pennsylvania ............. 45.6 6.75 52.3

Rhode Island ............. 0.17 0.01 0.18

South Carolina .......... 5.23 6.79 12.0

South Dakota............. 19.1 28.3 47.4

Tennessee .................. 14.0 13.4 27.5

Texas......................... 131 127 259

Utah........................... 7.77 8.76 16.5

Vermont..................... 4.22 1.41 5.63

Virginia...................... 6.52 20.8 27.4

Washington................ 19.2 8.55 27.8

West Virginia............. 1.66 3.42 5.08

Wisconsin.................. 65.8 7.30 73.1

Wyoming................... 6.14 10.3 16.5

Puerto Rico................ 5.57 2.24 7.81

U.S. Virgin Islands.... 0.01 0.01 0.02

TOTAL 1,200 797 2,000 Windmill on Pawnee Butte Grasslands. Photo by Ray Klocek, used 

with permission.
Figure 8. Livestock withdrawals by source and State, 2010.

EXPLANATION

Water withdrawals,

 in million gallons

 per day

0 to 10 

11 to 50

51 to 100

101 to 250

251 to 260

Louisiana

New Hampshire

Florida

Idaho

Washington

Oregon

Nevada

California

New Mexico

Texas

Utah

Arizona

Nebraska

Montana North Dakota

Wyoming

Colorado

Oklahoma

Kansas

South Dakota

Arkansas

Missouri

Georgia

Michigan

Iowa

Alabama

Tennessee

Mississippi

North

Carolina

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Indiana Illinois

Kentucky

South

Carolina

Ohio

 West

Virginia 

Virginia

Massachusetts

Maine

New York

Pennsylvania Connecticut

Rhode Island

Vermont

Alaska

Hawaii

Maryland

Delaware

New Jersey

District of Columbia

Lake Superior

Lake Michigan

Lake Ontario

Lake Erie

Lake Huron

Puerto 

Rico

U.S.

Virgin 

Islands

Total withdrawals

Surface-water withdrawals Groundwater withdrawals

Total withdrawals, in

million gallons per day

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Hawaii Alaska

Oregon

Washington

California Nevada Idaho

ArizonaUtah

Montana

Wyoming

New Mexico Colorado

North Dakota

South Dakota Nebraska Texas

Kansas

Oklahoma

MinnesotaIowa

Missouri

Louisiana Arkansas

Wisconsin

Mississippi

Illinois

Alabama

Tennessee

Indiana

Kentucky

Michigan Georgia

Ohio

Florida South Carolina West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia Pennsylvania

MarylandD.C. New York Delaware

New Jersey

Connecticut Vermont Massachusetts

Rhode Island

New Hampshire Maine Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands

Figure 8. Livestock

WEST EAST

30 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010
Left, trout in raceways at the 

historic Leadville National Fish 

Hatchery, Leadville, Colorado. 

Photo by Christopher Brown, 

USGS. Above, student with trout 

at the Aquaculture Research 

Institute in Hagerman, Idaho. 

Photo from University of Idaho, 

used with permission.

Aquaculture 31

Aquaculture 9,420 million gallons per day

Aquaculture water use is water associated with raising 

organisms that live in water—such as finfish and shellfish—

for food, restoration, conservation, or sport. Aquaculture 

production occurs under controlled feeding, sanitation, 

and harvesting procedures primarily in ponds, flowthrough 

raceways, and, to a lesser extent, cages, net pens, and closedrecirculation tanks. All withdrawals were 

considered self supplied. 

Total withdrawals for aquaculture 

during 2010 are listed by State in table 9 at 

9,420 Mgal/d, or 10,600 thousand acre-ft/yr 

(table 2B). Surface water was the source 

for about 81 percent of the withdrawals for 

this category. Much of the surface water 

was used for flowthrough raceways and was 

returned to the source after use. A combined 

total of 14.2 Mgal/d saline surface-water 

withdrawals, less than 0.2 percent of total 

aquaculture withdrawals, were reported 

in Rhode Island (8.80 Mgal/d) and Texas 

(5.37 Mgal/d); these amounts are not shown 

separately in table 9 but are included in 

the total. Aquaculture withdrawals were 3 percent of total 

withdrawals and 5 percent of total withdrawals for all categories excluding thermoelectric power. Estimated aquaculture 

withdrawals in 2010 were 7 percent more than in 2005. 

The geographic distribution of total, surface-water, and 

groundwater withdrawals for aquaculture is shown in figure 9. 

Idaho, North Carolina, California, and Oregon used the most 

water for aquaculture, about 63 percent of the total and about 

74 percent of the surface-water withdrawals for aquaculture. 

Alaska, Louisiana, Arkansas, California, and Mississippi 

combined accounted for 60 percent of the total groundwater 

withdrawals for aquaculture. 

Several sources of information were used to estimate 

2010 aquaculture withdrawals. Some estimates were derived 

from State permits that reported water withdrawals or return 

flows for aquaculture facilities. The EPA Permit Compliance 

System database also was a source of return-flow data that 

were used to estimate water withdrawals. Individual aquaculture operations, State regulatory agencies, 

State offices of the NASS, and Cooperative 

Extension Service offices also provided information that was used to estimate aquaculture 

withdrawals in some States.

Many of the 2010 withdrawals for aquaculture were estimated by multiplying the 

number of aquaculture farms in operation 

in each county during 2007 by the average 

groundwater and surface-water withdrawal 

rates for aquaculture farms in the county. For 

the purpose of these estimates, the change 

in the number of aquaculture farms in each 

county from 2002 to 2007 was assumed to 

be representative of withdrawal changes 

from 2005 to 2010. The average groundwater 

and surface-water withdrawal rates for each county were 

calculated by dividing the estimated groundwater and surfacewater withdrawals for aquaculture in 2005 in the county by 

the number of aquaculture farms in operation in the county 

in 2002. The numbers of aquaculture farms in operation in 

2002 and 2007 in each county were provided by the NASS 

(Robert Hunt, National Agricultural Statistics Service, written 

commun., 2013). In counties where no aquaculture operations 

existed in 2002, but one or more farms existed in 2007, the 

State average groundwater and surface-water withdrawal 

rates per farm were multiplied by the number of farms in 

the county.

3 percent
32 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Table 9. Aquaculture water withdrawals, 2010. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State

Withdrawals 

(in million gallons per day)

By source Total

Groundwater Surface water

Alabama .................... 32.4 26.6 59.1

Alaska ....................... 429 255 684

Arizona...................... 39.5 7.77 47.3

Arkansas.................... 181 86.5 268

California .................. 171 802 973

Colorado.................... 23.0 99.0 122

Connecticut ............... 6.67 23.0 29.7

Delaware ................... 0.06 0 0.06

District of Columbia 0 0 0

Florida....................... 1.86 0 1.86

Georgia...................... 3.92 45.9 49.8

Hawaii....................... 2.14 2.40 4.54

Idaho ......................... 65.6 2,690 2,750

Illinois....................... 4.78 27.2 32.0

Indiana....................... 6.60 1.97 8.57

Iowa........................... 14.4 4.45 18.9

Kansas....................... 4.37 8.57 12.9

Kentucky................... 0.53 33.5 34.1

Louisiana................... 197 114 311

Maine ........................ 25.8 21.2 46.9

Maryland................... 5.06 15.7 20.8

Massachusetts ........... 7.23 42.4 49.6

Michigan ................... 4.21 78.5 82.7

Minnesota.................. 1.69 15.2 16.9

Mississippi ................ 113 19.3 133

Missouri .................... 10.5 170 181

Montana .................... 2.45 16.4 18.9

Nebraska ................... 6.07 82.2 88.3

Nevada ...................... 10.6 38.8 49.5

New Hampshire ........ 8.09 8.48 16.6

New Jersey................ 9.16 0 9.16

New Mexico.............. 15.8 4.32 20.1

New York .................. 3.36 36.8 40.2

North Carolina .......... 11.5 1,450 1,470

North Dakota............. 0 5.92 5.92

Ohio........................... 15.4 19.0 34.3

Oklahoma.................. 3.25 7.43 10.7

Oregon....................... 33.4 679 712

Pennsylvania ............. 47.9 59.7 108

Rhode Island ............. 5.60 8.90 14.5

South Carolina .......... 2.00 8.97 11.0

South Dakota............. 24.8 23.6 48.4

Tennessee .................. 15.4 37.2 52.6

Texas......................... 9.13 22.2 31.4

Utah........................... 97.1 0 97.1

Vermont..................... 5.97 4.96 10.9

Virginia...................... 9.39 286 295

Washington................ 86.4 127 213

West Virginia............. 11.7 40.6 52.3

Wisconsin.................. 25.5 30.2 55.8

Wyoming................... 2.10 18.7 20.8

Puerto Rico................ 0.01 0.40 0.41

U.S. Virgin Islands.... 0 0 0

TOTAL 1,820 7,610 9,420

Raceway at historic Leadville National Fish Hatchery, Leadville, 

Colorado. Photo by Christopher Brown, USGS. 
Figure 9. Aquaculture withdrawals by source and State, 2010.

EXPLANATION

Water withdrawals,

 in million gallons 

 per day

0 to 10

11 to 50

51 to 100

101 to 500

501 to 2,760

Louisiana

New Hampshire

Florida

Idaho

Washington

Oregon

Nevada

California

New Mexico

Texas

Utah

Arizona

Nebraska

Montana North Dakota

Wyoming

Colorado

Oklahoma

Kansas

South Dakota

Arkansas

Missouri

Georgia

Michigan

Iowa

Alabama

Tennessee

Mississippi

North

Carolina

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Indiana Illinois

Kentucky

South

Carolina

Ohio

 West

Virginia 

Virginia

Massachusetts

Maine

New York

Pennsylvania Connecticut

Rhode Island

Vermont

Alaska

Hawaii

Maryland

Delaware

New Jersey

District of Columbia

Lake Superior

Lake Michigan

Lake Ontario

Lake Erie

Lake Huron

Puerto 

Rico

U.S.

Virgin 

Islands

Total withdrawals

Surface-water withdrawals Groundwater withdrawals

Total withdrawals, in

million gallons per day

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Hawaii Alaska

Oregon

Washington

California Nevada Idaho

ArizonaUtah

Montana

Wyoming

New Mexico Colorado

North Dakota

South Dakota Nebraska Texas

Kansas

Oklahoma

MinnesotaIowa

Missouri

Louisiana Arkansas

Wisconsin

Mississippi

Illinois

Alabama

Tennessee

Indiana

Kentucky

Michigan Georgia

Ohio

Florida South Carolina West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia Pennsylvania

MarylandD.C. New York

Delaware

New Jersey

Connecticut Vermont Massachusetts

Rhode Island

New Hampshire Maine Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands

Figure 9. Aquaculture

WEST EAST

Aquaculture 33
Lumber mill, Adams County, Idaho. Photo by Molly Maupin, USGS.

4 percent

34 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Industrial 15,900 million gallons per day

Industrial withdrawals provide water for such purposes 

as fabricating, processing, washing, diluting, cooling, or 

transporting a product; incorporating water into a product; 

or for sanitation needs within the manufacturing facility. 

Some industries that use large amounts of water produce 

such commodities as food, paper, chemicals, refined petroleum, or primary metals. Water for industrial use may be 

delivered from a public supplier or be self supplied. In this 

report, industrial use refers to self-supplied industrial withdrawals only. Withdrawals were reported as freshwater or 

saline water. As in the 2000 and 2005 reports, public-supply 

deliveries for industrial and consumptive uses were not 

reported for 2010.

Industrial withdrawals are listed by State in table 10. 

For 2010, withdrawals were an estimated 15,900 Mgal/d, or 

17,900 thousand acre-ft/yr (table 2B). Industrial withdrawals 

were about 4 percent of total withdrawals and about 8 percent 

of total withdrawals for all categories excluding thermoelectric power. Surface water was the source for 82 percent 

of total industrial withdrawals, and 93 percent of the surfacewater withdrawals for industrial use was freshwater. More 

than 98 percent of the groundwater withdrawals for industrial 

use also was freshwater. For 2010, total industrial withdrawals were 12 percent less than in 2005. 

The geographic distribution of total, total surface-water, 

and total groundwater withdrawals for industrial use is shown 

in figure 10. Indiana, Louisiana, and Texas accounted for 

35 percent of total industrial withdrawals, and Indiana and 

Louisiana accounted for 33 percent of the total fresh surfacewater withdrawals. Texas accounted for 65 percent of the 

saline surface-water industrial withdrawals, mostly from 

areas along the Gulf coast. The largest fresh groundwater 

industrial withdrawals were in California, which accounted 

for 14 percent of the total national fresh groundwater industrial withdrawals. Most of the saline groundwater industrial 

withdrawals were in Utah.

Sources of data for industrial withdrawals included 

information obtained directly from facilities or State and 

Federal permit programs that require reporting of industrial 

withdrawals or return flows. Industrial withdrawals also 

were estimated using industry-group employment data and 

per employee water-use coefficients. A notable improvement 

from historical estimation methods include additional facility 

information provided to each USGS Water Science Center that 

included information about the type of business, number of 

employees, the location of the facilities, as well as economic 

indicators of the size of the business. These data were derived 

from a commercial database and were kept confidential. 
Industrial 35

Table 10. Industrial self-supplied water withdrawals, 2010. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State

Withdrawals (in million gallons per day)

By source and type Total Groundwater Surface water

Fresh Saline Total Fresh Saline Total Fresh Saline Total

Alabama .................... 34.0 0 34.0 540 0 540 574 0 574

Alaska ....................... 3.38 0 3.38 4.40 4.30 8.70 7.78 4.30 12.1

Arizona...................... 12.9 0 12.9 0 0 0 12.9 0 12.9

Arkansas.................... 56.1 5.05 61.2 214 0 214 271 5.05 276

California .................. 399 0 399 1.13 0 1.13 400 0 400

Colorado.................... 3.45 0 3.45 127 0 127 130 0 130

Connecticut ............... 6.28 0 6.28 60.2 38.5 98.6 66.5 38.5 105

Delaware ................... 8.43 0 8.43 87.5 0 87.5 96.0 0 96.0

District of Columbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Florida....................... 165 0 165 47.7 0 47.7 213 0 213

Georgia...................... 206 0 206 281 0 281 487 0 487

Hawaii....................... 4.63 0 4.63 0 0 0 4.63 0 4.63

Idaho ......................... 32.6 0 32.6 17.2 0 17.2 49.7 0 49.7

Illinois....................... 124 0 124 267 0 267 390 0 390

Indiana....................... 82.2 0 82.2 2,120 0 2,120 2,210 0 2,210

Iowa........................... 123 0 123 2.70 0 2.70 125 0 125

Kansas....................... 33.5 0 33.5 6.79 0 6.79 40.3 0 40.3

Kentucky................... 81.4 0 81.4 146 0 146 228 0 228

Louisiana................... 231 0 231 1,830 0 1,830 2,060 0 2,060

Maine ........................ 6.54 0 6.54 185 14.8 200 192 14.8 207

Maryland................... 11.3 0 11.3 38.6 146 185 50.0 146 196

Massachusetts ........... 4.28 0 4.28 12.1 0 12.1 16.3 0 16.3

Michigan ................... 75.0 0 75.0 537 0 537 612 0 612

Minnesota.................. 61.8 0 61.8 71.7 0 71.7 134 0 134

Mississippi ................ 77.8 0 77.8 125 0 125 203 0 203

Missouri .................... 34.3 0 34.3 34.1 0 34.1 68.4 0 68.4

Montana .................... 36.9 0 36.9 29.6 0 29.6 66.4 0 66.4

Nebraska ................... 28.8 0 28.8 2.33 0 2.33 31.1 0 31.1

Nevada ...................... 0.70 0 0.70 4.53 0 4.53 5.23 0 5.23

New Hampshire ........ 10.6 0 10.6 7.06 0 7.06 17.7 0 17.7

New Jersey................ 34.8 0 34.8 48.5 0 48.5 83.3 0 83.3

New Mexico.............. 10.3 0 10.3 0.83 0 0.83 11.1 0 11.1

New York .................. 35.9 0 35.9 316 0 316 352 0 352

North Carolina .......... 83.8 0 83.8 188 0 188 271 0 271

North Dakota............. 5.77 0 5.77 12.9 0 12.9 18.7 0 18.7

Ohio........................... 197 0 197 293 0 293 489 0 489

Oklahoma.................. 6.46 0 6.46 14.3 0 14.3 20.8 0 20.8

Oregon....................... 2.62 0 2.62 123 0 123 126 0 126

Pennsylvania ............. 73.8 0 73.8 792 0 792 866 0 866

Rhode Island ............. 4.17 0 4.17 3.35 0 3.35 7.52 0 7.52

South Carolina .......... 22.7 0 22.7 365 0 365 388 0 388

South Dakota............. 6.85 0 6.85 2.63 0 2.63 9.48 0 9.48

Tennessee .................. 47.6 0 47.6 728 0 728 776 0 776

Texas......................... 108 2.04 110 571 608 1,180 680 610 1,290

Utah........................... 31.2 37.5 68.7 16.4 33.1 49.5 47.6 70.6 118

Vermont..................... 2.00 0 2.00 3.69 0 3.69 5.69 0 5.69

Virginia...................... 74.2 0.02 74.3 309 56.1 365 383 56.1 439

Washington................ 99.4 0 99.4 358 33.1 392 458 33.1 491

West Virginia............. 35.1 3.80 38.9 729 0 729 764 3.80 768

Wisconsin.................. 54.3 0 54.3 382 0 382 436 0 436

Wyoming................... 4.92 0 4.92 1.82 0 1.82 6.74 0 6.74

Puerto Rico................ 4.30 0 4.30 0 0 0 4.30 0 4.30

U.S. Virgin Islands.... 0.22 0 0.22 0 2.62 2.62 0.22 2.62 2.84

TOTAL 2,900 48.4 2,950 12,100 937 13,000 15,000 986 15,900
Figure 10. Industrial withdrawals by source and State, 2010.

EXPLANATION

Water withdrawals,

 in million gallons 

 per day

0 to 100

101 to 300

301 to 600

601 to 1,500

1,501 to 2,210

Louisiana

New Hampshire

Florida

Idaho

Washington

Oregon

Nevada

California

New Mexico

Texas

Utah

Arizona

Nebraska

Montana North Dakota

Wyoming

Colorado

Oklahoma

Kansas

South Dakota

Arkansas

Missouri

Georgia

Michigan

Iowa

Alabama

Tennessee

Mississippi

North

Carolina

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Indiana Illinois

Kentucky

South

Carolina

Ohio

 West

Virginia 

Virginia

Massachusetts

Maine

New York

Pennsylvania Connecticut

Rhode Island

Vermont

Alaska

Hawaii

Maryland

District of Columbia

Delaware

New Jersey

Lake Superior

Lake Michigan

Lake Ontario

Lake Erie

Lake Huron

Puerto 

Rico

U.S.

Virgin 

Islands

Total withdrawals

Figure 10. Industrial

Surface-water withdrawals Groundwater withdrawals

Hawaii Alaska

Oregon

Washington

California Nevada Idaho

ArizonaUtah

Montana

Wyoming

New Mexico Colorado

North Dakota

South Dakota Nebraska Texas

Kansas

Oklahoma

MinnesotaIowa

Missouri

Louisiana Arkansas

Wisconsin

Mississippi

Illinois

Alabama

Tennessee

Indiana

Kentucky

Michigan Georgia

Ohio

Florida South Carolina West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia Pennsylvania

MarylandD.C. New York Delaware

New Jersey

Connecticut Vermont Massachusetts

Rhode Island

New Hampshire Maine Puerto Rico

U.S. Virgin Islands

Total withdrawals, in

million gallons per day

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

WEST EAST

36 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010
The Bingham Canyon Mine in Salt Lake County, Utah. Photo by Alan Cressler, USGS.

1 percent

Mining 37

Mining 5,320 million gallons per day

Mining water use is water used for the extraction of 

minerals that may be in the form of solids, such as coal, 

iron, sand, and gravel; liquids, such as crude petroleum; and 

gases, such as natural gas. The category includes quarrying, 

milling of mined materials, injection of water for secondary 

oil recovery or for unconventional oil and gas recovery (such 

as hydraulic fracturing), and other operations associated with 

mining activities. All mining withdrawals were considered 

to be self supplied. Water withdrawals were reported as 

freshwater or saline water. Dewatering was not reported as 

a mining withdrawal unless the water was used beneficially, 

such as dampening roads for dust control. 

Mining withdrawals during 2010 are listed by State 

in table 11. During 2010, an estimated 5,320 Mgal/d, or 

5,960 thousand acre-ft/yr (table 2B), were withdrawn. Mining 

withdrawals were about 1 percent of total withdrawals 

and about 3 percent of total withdrawals for all categories 

excluding thermoelectric power. Groundwater was the source 

for 73 percent of total withdrawals for mining. Seventy-one 

percent of the groundwater withdrawn for mining was saline. 

Eighty percent of the surface-water withdrawn was freshwater. Saline groundwater withdrawals and fresh surfacewater withdrawals together represented 74 percent of the total 

withdrawals for mining. 

Total mining withdrawals in 2010 were 39 percent more 

than in 2005. Groundwater withdrawals were 54 percent 

more, and surface-water withdrawals were 9 percent more. 

Freshwater withdrawals in 2010 were only 1 percent less than 

in 2005, but saline-water withdrawals were 97 percent more 

than in 2005. Some of the increase in saline withdrawals was 

attributed to increased accounting of water produced as a 

byproduct during oil and gas extraction and then re-injected 

for secondary oil and gas recovery.

The geographic distribution of total, total freshwater, 

and total saline-water withdrawals is shown in figure 11. 

Oklahoma and Texas accounted for 46 percent of the total 

withdrawals for mining. Nevada and Texas accounted for 

41 percent of fresh groundwater withdrawals, and Oklahoma 

and Texas accounted for 79 percent of saline groundwater 

withdrawals. Minnesota, Indiana, Texas, and Iowa accounted 

for 46 percent of fresh surface-water withdrawals. Utah and 

Alaska accounted for almost 100 percent of saline surfacewater withdrawals.

Sources of data used to estimate water use for mining 

included surveys of mining operations and State and 

Federal agencies that collect water withdrawal, discharge, 

or mineral production data for mining operations. Many of 

the 2010 withdrawals for mining were estimated according 

to methods described by Lovelace (2009b), using mineral 

production data and water-use coefficients, in gallons per 

weight or volume of minerals produced. Production data 

for nonfuel minerals, including metals and nonmetallic 

minerals, were provided by the USGS Minerals Information 

Team (Robert Callaghan, U.S. Geological Survey, written 

commun., 2012). Production or water-injection data for fuel 

minerals, including coal, petroleum, and natural gas, were 

obtained from the Energy Information Administration and 

various State agencies. 
38 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Table 11. Mining water withdrawals, 2010. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State

Withdrawals (in million gallons per day)

By source and type Total Groundwater Surface water

Fresh Saline Total Fresh Saline Total Fresh Saline Total

Alabama .................... 12.7 0 12.7 7.49 0 7.49 20.2 0 20.2

Alaska ....................... 0.01 144 144 24.1 76.4 100 24.1 221 245

Arizona...................... 86.6 0 86.6 0 0 0 86.6 0 86.6

Arkansas.................... 0.18 0 0.18 44.1 0 44.1 44.3 0 44.3

California .................. 24.1 236 260 12.2 0.05 12.3 36.4 236 272

Colorado.................... 5.46 19.4 24.9 3.05 0 3.05 8.51 19.4 27.9

Connecticut ............... 0.92 0 0.92 3.80 0 3.80 4.72 0 4.72

Delaware ................... 0.44 0 0.44 0.41 0 0.41 0.85 0 0.85

District of Columbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Florida....................... 78.8 0 78.8 34.1 0 34.1 113 0 113

Georgia...................... 19.3 0 19.3 8.41 0 8.41 27.7 0 27.7

Hawaii....................... 1.40 0 1.40 0.11 0 0.11 1.51 0 1.51

Idaho ......................... 1.28 0 1.28 18.9 0 18.9 20.2 0 20.2

Illinois....................... 15.5 25.5 41.0 55.4 0 55.4 70.9 25.5 96.3

Indiana....................... 4.52 0 4.52 83.7 0 83.7 88.2 0 88.2

Iowa........................... 1.53 0 1.53 78.1 0 78.1 79.6 0 79.6

Kansas....................... 9.34 0 9.34 3.98 0 3.98 13.3 0 13.3

Kentucky................... 7.80 0 7.80 23.0 0 23.0 30.8 0 30.8

Louisiana................... 5.32 0 5.32 5.94 0 5.94 11.3 0 11.3

Maine ........................ 1.14 0 1.14 3.73 0 3.73 4.87 0 4.87

Maryland................... 7.25 0 7.25 2.18 0 2.18 9.43 0 9.43

Massachusetts ........... 1.82 0 1.82 4.78 0 4.78 6.60 0 6.60

Michigan ................... 10.1 0.57 10.7 66.0 0 66.0 76.2 0.57 76.8

Minnesota.................. 8.32 0 8.32 276 0 276 285 0 285

Mississippi ................ 8.23 12.6 20.8 0.55 0 0.55 8.78 12.6 21.4

Missouri .................... 24.4 0 24.4 8.41 0 8.41 32.9 0 32.9

Montana .................... 1.73 18.6 20.3 26.2 0 26.2 27.9 18.6 46.5

Nebraska ................... 0.09 0.13 0.22 8.77 0 8.77 8.86 0.13 8.99

Nevada ...................... 341 0.95 342 4.11 0 4.11 345 0.95 346

New Hampshire ........ 0.01 0 0.01 2.84 0 2.84 2.85 0 2.85

New Jersey................ 1.73 0 1.73 6.91 0 6.91 8.64 0 8.64

New Mexico.............. 27.4 0 27.4 9.68 0 9.68 37.1 0 37.1

New York .................. 8.34 0 8.34 64.0 0 64.0 72.4 0 72.4

North Carolina .......... 27.8 0 27.8 4.87 0 4.87 32.6 0 32.6

North Dakota............. 8.73 13.6 22.3 4.63 0 4.63 13.4 13.6 27.0

Ohio........................... 79.0 0 79.0 35.8 0 35.8 115 0 115

Oklahoma.................. 4.75 1,400 1,400 13.3 0 13.3 18.0 1,400 1,410

Oregon....................... 7.47 0 7.47 1.17 0 1.17 8.64 0 8.64

Pennsylvania ............. 51.4 0 51.4 10.5 0 10.5 62.0 0 62.0

Rhode Island ............. 0.43 0 0.43 0.49 0 0.49 0.92 0 0.92

South Carolina .......... 6.69 0 6.69 1.74 0 1.74 8.43 0 8.43

South Dakota............. 7.22 0 7.22 11.0 0 11.0 18.2 0 18.2

Tennessee .................. 6.89 0 6.89 7.73 0 7.73 14.6 0 14.6

Texas......................... 122 810 931 81.2 0.49 81.7 203 810 1,010

Utah........................... 2.59 41.6 44.2 1.60 205 206 4.19 246 250

Vermont..................... 0.32 0 0.32 3.53 0 3.53 3.85 0 3.85

Virginia...................... 6.56 0 6.56 28.4 0 28.4 34.9 0 34.9

Washington................ 13.4 0 13.4 3.36 0 3.36 16.7 0 16.7

West Virginia............. 5.53 1.02 6.55 9.00 0 9.00 14.5 1.02 15.6

Wisconsin.................. 10.9 0 10.9 8.63 0 8.63 19.6 0 19.6

Wyoming................... 37.1 67.1 104 13.0 0 13.0 50.1 67.1 117

Puerto Rico................ 1.43 0.32 1.75 0.18 0 0.18 1.61 0.32 1.93

U.S. Virgin Islands.... 0 0 0 0 0.04 0.04 0 0.04 0.04

TOTAL 1,120 2,790 3,900 1,130 282 1,410 2,250 3,070 5,320
Figure 11. Mining withdrawals by water quality and State, 2010.

0 to 10

11 to 50

51 to 100

101 to 200

201 to 1,420

EXPLANATION

Water withdrawals,

 in million gallons

 per day

Louisiana

New Hampshire

Florida

Idaho

Washington

Oregon

Nevada

California

New Mexico

Texas

Utah

Arizona

Nebraska

Montana North Dakota

Wyoming

Colorado

Oklahoma

Kansas

South Dakota

Arkansas

Missouri

Georgia

Michigan

Iowa

Alabama

Tennessee

Mississippi

North

Carolina

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Indiana Illinois

Kentucky

South

Carolina

Ohio

 West

Virginia 

Virginia

Massachusetts

Maine

New York

Pennsylvania Connecticut

Rhode Island

Vermont

Alaska

Hawaii

Maryland

District of Columbia

Delaware

New Jersey

Lake Superior

Lake Michigan

Lake Ontario

Lake Erie

Lake Huron

Puerto 

Rico

U.S.

Virgin 

Islands

Total withdrawals

Figure 11. Mining

Freshwater withdrawals Saline-water withdrawals

Hawaii Alaska

Oregon

Washington

California Nevada Idaho

ArizonaUtah

Montana

Wyoming

New Mexico Colorado

North Dakota

South Dakota Nebraska Texas

Kansas

Oklahoma

MinnesotaIowa

Missouri

Louisiana Arkansas

Wisconsin

Mississippi

Illinois

Alabama

Tennessee

Indiana

Kentucky

Michigan Georgia

Ohio

Florida South Carolina West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia Pennsylvania

MarylandD.C. New York Delaware

New Jersey

Connecticut Vermont Massachusetts

Rhode Island

New Hampshire Maine Puerto Rico

U.S. Virgin Islands

Total withdrawals, in

million gallons per day

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

WEST EAST

Mining 39
45 percent

40 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Thermoelectric Power 161,000 million gallons per day

Water for thermoelectric power is used in generating 

electricity with steam-driven turbine generators. Thermoelectricpower withdrawals were compiled by cooling-system type. 

Once-through cooling systems circulate water through 

heat exchangers and then return the water to the source. 

Recirculation cooling systems circulate water through heat 

exchangers, then cool the water using ponds or towers, and then 

the water is recirculated. Water withdrawals for a recirculation 

system are used to replace water lost to evaporation, blowdown, 

drift, and leakage. Thermoelectric-power withdrawals were 

reported as freshwater or saline water, as well as by cooling 

system. Net power generation is also reported by cooling system. 

For 2010, public-supply deliveries to thermoelectric 

powerplants and consumptive use were not reported. 

However, 1,290 thermoelectric powerplants from the linked 

heat and water budget models provided monthly and annual 

estimates of withdrawals and consumptive use by powerplant. 

These data were provided as supplemental and supportive 

datasets for the compilation. Datasets substantially improved 

existing NWUIP capabilities with more accurate and complete 

information on thermoelectric powerplant locations, categorization of cooling-system types, and water sources. Qualityassured data for net power generation were also provided 

with linked information about cooling system and fuels, 

monthly and annual (2010) estimates of withdrawals based 

on the models, and associated monthly and annual estimates 

of consumptive use by plant (Diehl and others, 2013; Diehl 

and Harris, 2014). These data were used either in whole, or in 

part, for this compilation. Compilers in some States obtained 

data reported directly from thermoelectric powerplants.

Thermoelectric-power withdrawals and net power 

generation are listed by State in table 12. Total withdrawals 

for thermoelectric power for 2010 were 161,000 Mgal/d or 

180,000 thousand acre-ft/yr (table 2B). Surface water was

the source for over 99 percent of total thermoelectric-power 

withdrawals, and 73 percent of those surface-water withdrawals 

were from freshwater sources. Saline surface-water withdrawals 

for thermoelectric power accounted for 97 percent of total saline 

surface-water withdrawals for all uses. Total withdrawals for 

thermoelectric power accounted for 45 percent of total water 

withdrawals, 38 percent of total freshwater withdrawals, and 

51 percent of fresh surface-water withdrawals for all uses. Net 

power generation associated with thermoelectric-power withdrawals was 3,130,000 gWh (gigawatt-hours), or about 2 percent 

less than in 2005. On average, 19 gal (gallons) were used to 

produce 1 kWh (kilowatt-hour) of electricity in 2010, compared 

to almost 23 gal/kWh (gallons per kilowatt-hour) in 2005.

The geographic distribution of total, total freshwater, 

and total saline-water withdrawals for thermoelectric power 

is shown in figure 12. The largest total withdrawals for 

thermoelectric power were in Texas, where nearly all the 

withdrawals were from freshwater sources. Illinois, Texas, 

Michigan, and Alabama, together accounted for more than 

32 percent of freshwater withdrawals for thermoelectric 

power. Florida, California, and Maryland accounted for 

about 48 percent of total saline withdrawals, nearly all from 

surface water. Hawaii, California, and Nevada accounted for 

82 percent of the total saline groundwater withdrawals. 

Estimated 2010 thermoelectric withdrawals were 

20 percent less than estimates for 2005. Reasons for this large 

difference include plant closures, use of the linked heat and 

water budget model data, decrease in use of coal and increase 

in use of natural gas, and new powerplants using more waterefficient cooling technology.

Eastern States accounted for 86 percent of total 

thermoelectric-power withdrawals in the United States and 

75 percent of the related net power generation. Hydroelectricpower generation is not included in this report but meets 

the demand for a significant amount of the U.S. total energy 

needs, predominantly in Western States. In 2010, 61 percent 

of the total 257,000 gWh from hydroelectric powerplants 

was produced by public utilities in Washington, California, 

Oregon, and New York (U.S. Department of Energy, 2011). 

Thermoelectric-power withdrawals and net power generated 

by cooling-system type are listed by State in table 13. Powerplants with once-through cooling systems accounted for 

94 percent of total withdrawals and 47 percent of net power 

generated. Plants with recirculating cooling systems required 

much less water (6 percent) and produced the majority 

(53 percent) of the net power generated. Powerplants with 

recirculating cooling systems are found in every State but 

were the predominant type of cooling system at powerplants in Western inland States such as Arizona, Oklahoma, 

Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico. 

Reclaimed wastewater is a supplemental source of water 

for thermoelectric power, especially in areas where additional 

water sources are needed for plant operations, such as for 

air pollution control equipment, or scrubbers (Veil, 2007). 

Arizona (67.6 Mgal/d) and California (22.8 Mgal/d) reported 

substantial amounts of reclaimed water use. Reclaimed 

wastewater is not included in the thermoelectric-power data 

or national totals for this report. 

Sources for thermoelectric-power withdrawals, coolingsystem information, and net power generation included 

data collected directly from facilities, State permitting or 

regulatory agencies, the USDOE EIA, and a linked heat 

and water budget for powerplants in the United States, as 

mentioned previously. Using information gleaned from the 

NWC thermoelectric project, some powerplant’s coolingsystem classifications were changed, thereby making them 

different from previous compilations. Similarly, net powergeneration data from EIA were scrutinized for each plant to 

determine whether the power that was reported and used in 

this compilation was associated with a water use.
Thermoelectric Power 41

Table 12. Thermoelectric-power water withdrawals, 2010. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

State

Withdrawals (in million gallons per day) Power 

generated

(in million 

kilowatt-hours)

By source and type Total Groundwater Surface water

Fresh Saline Total Fresh Saline Total Fresh Saline Total

Alabama .................... 0 0 0 8,250 0 8,250 8,250 0 8,250 125,000

Alaska ....................... 2.19 0 2.19 55.8 0 55.8 58.0 0 58.0 1,760

Arizona...................... 77.3 0 77.3 27.1 0 27.1 104 0 104 86,700

Arkansas.................... 4.26 0 4.26 1,540 0 1,540 1,540 0 1,540 49,000

California .................. 33.1 48.4 81.6 32.2 6,490 6,520 65.4 6,540 6,600 85,400

Colorado.................... 16.8 0 16.8 60.2 0 60.2 77.0 0 77.0 38,300

Connecticut ............... 0 0 0 198 2,460 2,650 198 2,460 2,650 21,600

Delaware ................... 0.37 0 0.37 7.45 417 425 7.82 417 425 5,150

District of Columbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Florida....................... 43.5 6.54 50.0 570 8,570 9,140 613 8,570 9,190 199,000

Georgia...................... 2.92 0 2.92 1,770 283 2,050 1,770 283 2,060 110,000

Hawaii....................... 53.2 50.8 104 0 552 552 53.2 603 656 6,830

Idaho ......................... 0.88 0 0.88 0 0 0 0.88 0 0.88 515

Illinois....................... 5.65 0 5.65 10,700 0 10,700 10,700 0 10,700 192,000

Indiana....................... 24.6 0 24.6 5,360 0 5,360 5,380 0 5,380 108,000

Iowa........................... 21.2 0 21.2 2,220 0 2,220 2,240 0 2,240 44,700

Kansas....................... 11.2 0 11.2 366 0 366 377 0 377 43,600

Kentucky................... 15.3 0 15.3 3,340 0 3,340 3,360 0 3,360 93,400

Louisiana................... 41.1 0 41.1 4,390 1.68 4,390 4,430 1.68 4,430 63,500

Maine ........................ 0.96 0 0.96 25.9 26.0 51.9 26.8 26.0 52.8 7,650

Maryland................... 2.25 0 2.25 434 5,760 6,200 436 5,760 6,200 41,100

Massachusetts ........... 0.21 0 0.21 134 1,930 2,070 134 1,930 2,070 18,500

Michigan ................... 4.12 0 4.12 8,510 0 8,510 8,520 0 8,520 107,000

Minnesota.................. 2.34 0 2.34 2,510 0 2,510 2,510 0 2,510 42,400

Mississippi ................ 50.0 7.05 57.1 905 62.4 968 956 69.5 1,020 44,200

Missouri .................... 19.9 0 19.9 5,890 0 5,890 5,910 0 5,910 86,200

Montana .................... 0.85 0 0.85 150 0 150 151 0 151 19,000

Nebraska ................... 5.25 0 5.25 1,790 0 1,790 1,790 0 1,790 34,400

Nevada ...................... 17.9 11.0 28.9 3.68 0 3.68 21.6 11.0 32.6 9,990

New Hampshire ........ 1.02 0 1.02 201 848 1,050 202 848 1,050 19,500

New Jersey................ 1.57 0 1.57 512 3,740 4,250 513 3,740 4,250 46,000

New Mexico.............. 9.59 0 9.59 42.3 0 42.3 51.9 0 51.9 29,700

New York .................. 2.39 0 2.39 2,750 4,850 7,600 2,760 4,850 7,600 77,900

North Carolina .......... 0.37 0 0.37 7,660 1,360 9,020 7,660 1,360 9,020 110,000

North Dakota............. 0 0 0 837 0 837 837 0 837 28,400

Ohio........................... 23.0 0 23.0 7,190 0 7,190 7,220 0 7,220 137,000

Oklahoma.................. 1.26 0 1.26 384 0 384 385 0 385 48,700

Oregon....................... 1.48 0 1.48 11.2 0 11.2 12.7 0 12.7 8,820

Pennsylvania ............. 4.49 0 4.49 5,390 0 5,390 5,390 0 5,390 201,000

Rhode Island ............. 0 0 0 1.44 232 234 1.44 232 234 1,140

South Carolina .......... 4.86 0 4.86 5,500 0 5,500 5,500 0 5,500 97,800

South Dakota............. 3.34 0 3.34 6.93 0 6.93 10.3 0 10.3 3,300

Tennessee .................. 1.78 0 1.78 5,800 0 5,800 5,800 0 5,800 71,900

Texas......................... 38.8 0 38.8 10,400 661 11,100 10,500 661 11,100 249,000

Utah........................... 24.0 10.5 34.5 45.6 0.47 46.0 69.6 11.0 80.6 38,900

Vermont..................... 0.74 0 0.74 344 0 344 345 0 345 5,230

Virginia...................... 1.55 0 1.55 2,850 3,150 6,000 2,860 3,150 6,000 53,500

Washington................ 1.57 0 1.57 36.4 0 36.4 37.9 0 37.9 20,100

West Virginia............. 1.40 0 1.40 2,470 0 2,470 2,470 0 2,470 77,500

Wisconsin.................. 2.78 0 2.78 4,630 0 4,630 4,630 0 4,630 55,400

Wyoming................... 2.29 0 2.29 61.1 0 61.1 63.4 0 63.4 39,600

Puerto Rico................ 1.17 0 1.17 2.61 2,270 2,270 3.78 2,270 2,270 19,900

U.S. Virgin Islands.... 0 0 0 0.17 116 116 0.17 116 116 830

TOTAL 587 134 721 116,000 43,800 160,000 117,000 43,900 161,000 3,130,000
Figure 12. Thermoelectric-power withdrawals by water quality and State, 2010.

Total withdrawals

Figure 12 . Thermo

Freshwater withdrawals Saline-water withdrawals

Louisiana

New Hampshire

Florida

Idaho

Washington

Oregon

Nevada

California

New Mexico

Texas

Utah

Arizona

Nebraska

Montana North Dakota

Wyoming

Colorado

Oklahoma

Kansas

South Dakota

Arkansas

Missouri

Georgia

Michigan

Iowa

Alabama

Tennessee

Mississippi

North

Carolina

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Indiana Illinois

Kentucky

South

Carolina

Ohio

 West

Virginia 

Virginia

Massachusetts

Maine

New York

Pennsylvania Connecticut

Rhode Island

Vermont

Alaska

Hawaii

Maryland

Delaware

New Jersey

District of Columbia

Lake Superior

Lake Michigan

Lake Ontario

Lake Erie

Lake Huron

Puerto 

Rico

U.S.

Virgin 

Islands

West–east

division for

this report

Total withdrawals, in

million gallons per day

Hawaii Alaska

Oregon

Washington

California Nevada Idaho

ArizonaUtah

Montana

Wyoming

New Mexico Colorado

North Dakota

South Dakota Nebraska Texas

Kansas

Oklahoma

MinnesotaIowa

Missouri

Louisiana Arkansas

Wisconsin

Mississippi

Illinois

Alabama

Tennessee

Indiana

Kentucky

Michigan Georgia

Ohio

Florida South Carolina West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia Pennsylvania

MarylandD.C. New York Delaware

New Jersey

Connecticut Vermont Massachusetts

Rhode Island

New Hampshire Maine Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

WEST EAST

EXPLANATION

Water withdrawals, in 

 million gallons per day

0

1 to 2,000

2,001 to 4,000

4,001 to 6,000

6,001 to 9,000

9,001 to 11,200

42 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010
Thermoelectric Power 43

Table 13. Thermoelectric-power water withdrawals by cooling type, 2010. 

[Values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding. All withdrawal values are in million gallons per day]

State

Withdrawals for once-through cooling Power 

generated

(in million 

kilowatthours)

Withdrawals for recirculation cooling Power

generated

(in million 

kilowatthours)

By source and type

Total

By source and type

Total Groundwater Surface water Groundwater Surface water

Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline Fresh Saline

Alabama .................... 0 0 8,120 0 8,120 74,300 0 0 134 0 134 50,700

Alaska ....................... 0 0 55.8 0 55.8 533 2.19 0 0 0 2.19 1,230

Arizona...................... 0 0 0 0 0 0 77.3 0 27.1 0 104 86,700

Arkansas.................... 0.80 0 1,480 0 1,480 20,100 3.46 0 58.5 0 62.0 28,900

California .................. 0.73 0 0 6,490 6,490 40,100 32.4 48.4 32.2 1.04 114 45,300

Colorado.................... 3.93 0 13.8 0 17.7 722 12.8 0 46.4 0 59.3 37,600

Connecticut ............... 0 0 198 2,460 2,650 21,500 0 0 0.10 0 0.10 56.8

Delaware ................... 0 0 0 417 417 2,950 0.37 0 7.45 0 7.82 2,210

District of Columbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Florida....................... 8.12 0 520 8,460 8,990 98,400 35.4 6.54 49.3 104 195 101,000

Georgia...................... 1.46 0 1,470 283 1,760 16,700 1.46 0 299 0 300 92,900

Hawaii....................... 52.8 46.9 0 552 652 5,090 0.32 3.83 0 0 4.15 1,740

Idaho ......................... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.88 0 0 0 0.88 515

Illinois....................... 3.42 0 10,100 0 10,100 92,000 2.23 0 631 0 633 99,500

Indiana....................... 20.6 0 5,240 0 5,260 57,100 3.96 0 116 0 120 51,100

Iowa........................... 9.39 0 2,200 0 2,210 29,600 11.8 0 17.6 0 29.4 15,100

Kansas....................... 0.05 0 311 0 311 11,900 11.1 0 54.6 0 65.7 31,700

Kentucky................... 0 0 3,270 0 3,270 44,900 15.3 0 71.2 0 86.5 48,500

Louisiana................... 30.4 0 4,030 1.68 4,060 28,400 10.7 0 359 0 370 35,100

Maine ........................ 0 0 24.1 24.2 48.3 280 0.96 0 1.78 1.80 4.54 7,370

Maryland................... 2.25 0 393 5,750 6,150 32,900 0 0 40.6 11.7 52.3 8,150

Massachusetts ........... 0 0 133 1,930 2,060 18,100 0.21 0 1.62 0.05 1.88 378

Michigan ................... 0.56 0 8,320 0 8,320 84,900 3.56 0 199 0 202 22,000

Minnesota.................. 2.19 0 1,560 0 1,560 28,800 0.15 0 946 0 946 13,600

Mississippi ................ 1.48 0 900 62.4 964 18,000 48.5 7.05 5.26 0 60.8 26,200

Missouri .................... 7.07 0 5,870 0 5,880 70,700 12.8 0 22.8 0 35.6 15,600

Montana .................... 0 0 122 0 122 1,280 0.85 0 27.9 0 28.8 17,700

Nebraska ................... 0 0 1,770 0 1,770 22,500 5.25 0 21.3 0 26.6 11,900

Nevada ...................... 0 0 0 0 0 0 17.9 11.0 3.68 0 32.6 9,990

New Hampshire ........ 0.27 0 200 846 1,050 14,600 0.75 0 1.13 2.42 4.30 4,940

New Jersey................ 0 0 433 3,740 4,170 28,300 1.57 0 78.6 0 80.1 17,800

New Mexico.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 9.59 0 42.3 0 51.9 29,700

New York .................. 0 0 2,750 4,850 7,600 75,300 2.39 0 4.09 0 6.48 2,620

North Carolina .......... 0 0 6,290 1,360 7,660 71,700 0.37 0 1,360 0 1,360 38,600

North Dakota............. 0 0 812 0 812 10,300 0 0 24.6 0 24.6 18,100

Ohio........................... 14.5 0 6,640 0 6,650 61,200 8.49 0 558 0 566 75,400

Oklahoma.................. 0.08 0 290 0 290 2,730 1.18 0 94.2 0 95.4 46,000

Oregon....................... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.48 0 11.2 0 12.7 8,820

Pennsylvania ............. 0.08 0 3,040 0 3,040 28,400 4.41 0 2,350 0 2,360 173,000

Rhode Island ............. 0 0 0 232 232 639 0 0 1.44 0 1.44 499

South Carolina .......... 1.02 0 4,420 0 4,420 38,000 3.84 0 1,080 0 1,090 59,800

South Dakota............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.34 0 6.93 0 10.3 3,300

Tennessee .................. 0 0 5,780 0 5,780 60,500 1.78 0 20.0 0 21.8 11,400

Texas......................... 0 0 10,200 658 10,900 129,000 38.8 0 189 3.81 231 120,000

Utah........................... 0 0 0 0 0 183 24.0 10.5 45.6 0.47 80.6 38,700

Vermont..................... 0 0 344 0 344 4,780 0.74 0 0.29 0 1.03 447

Virginia...................... 0 0 2,830 3,150 5,970 41,800 1.55 0 25.4 0 27.0 11,600

Washington................ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.57 0 36.4 0 37.9 20,100

West Virginia............. 0.02 0 2,320 0 2,320 16,000 1.38 0 154 0 156 61,500

Wisconsin.................. 1.35 0 4,600 0 4,600 40,000 1.43 0 34.2 0 35.6 15,400

Wyoming................... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.29 0 61.1 0 63.4 39,600

Puerto Rico................ 1.15 0 1.12 2,270 2,270 16,700 0.02 0 1.49 0 1.51 3,190

U.S. Virgin Islands.... 0 0 0.17 116 116 830 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 164 46.9 107,000 43,600 151,000 1,460,000 423 87.3 9,360 125 9,990 1,660,000
44 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Trends in Water Use, 1950–2010

The USGS has conducted water-use compilations every 

5 years since 1950 (http://water.usgs.gov/watuse/50years.html).

A summary of population growth and withdrawal estimates 

by category of use and source of water is discussed in this 

section and shown in table 14 for each 5-year period from 

1950 through 2010. These trends are shown graphically for 

freshwater uses in figure 13 and total uses in figure 14. 

Table 14 shows withdrawals for categories of use for 

each compilation period. Some categories were compiled 

and presented differently since compilations were begun. For 

example, self-supplied domestic and livestock withdrawals are 

shown separately in table 14; however, they were combined as 

“rural” in the 1950 and 1955 reports. Prior to 1985, the industrial water-use category included withdrawals for commercial, 

mining, and aquaculture; after 1985 these categories were 

estimated separately. Water use at fish hatcheries was reported 

as commercial use in 1990 and 1995, but was included in 

the aquaculture category for 2000, 2005, and again in 2010. 

Estimates of commercial withdrawals were not compiled 

nationally for 2000, 2005 or 2010. Totals in table 14 represent 

the most current data and incorporate revisions to previously 

published data; therefore, percentage differences and national 

totals may be slightly different from previous reports. 

Total withdrawals for all categories of use in 2010 were 

estimated to be 355 Bgal/d, a level of withdrawal not reported 

since before 1970. Total withdrawals in 2010 were 13 percent 

less than in 2005, causing an abrupt downward shift to 

the mostly steady trend exhibited since 1985. This downward trend was caused by significant declines in the largest 

categories of use, including thermoelectric power, irrigation, 

public supply, and industrial. Categories with larger withdrawals in 2010 than in 2005 were mining and aquaculture, 

but these categories are small and increased total withdrawals 

for those categories of use did not offset the much larger 

overall decrease of 54 Bgal/d from the other uses. 

Although the trend in total population since 1950 has 

been steadily upward, the rate of increase has varied over 

time (table 14). Most recently, total population in the United 

States increased only 4 percent between 2005 and 2010, or 

an additional 12.3 million people. This continues the upward 

trend in total population growth exhibited since 1950, but at a 

slightly slower rate. Historically, decadal growth rates in the 

United States were at their highest between 1950 and 1960, 

with an 19 percent increase from an additional 29 million 

people. Then growth rates exhibited an overall steady trend 

between 1960 and 1990, with no more than a 27 million 

person per year increase in the 30 year period. The rates 

sharply increased with a 13.2 percent increase (32.7 million) 

between 1990 and 2000 and were most recently at a 

9.7 percent (27.3 million) increase from 2000 to 2010. (U.S. 

Census Bureau, 2011). In the last decade, population growth 

rate recorded was much faster in Southern and Western States 

(14.3 and 13.8 percent, respectively) compared to Midwestern 

States (3.9 percent) and Northeastern States (3.2 percent).

Thermoelectric power continued to account for the 

largest withdrawals for any category of use at 161 Bgal/d, or 

45 percent of the total withdrawals from all categories of use. 

Total thermoelectric-power withdrawals in 2010 were about 

20 percent less than in 2005; freshwater withdrawals were 

18 percent less, and saline-water withdrawals were 24 percent 

less. These were the largest reductions in total withdrawals 

between 2005 and 2010 when considering all uses and 

accounted for the majority of the 13 percent decline in total 

withdrawals for all uses. Total withdrawals for thermoelectric 

power in 1985 were 11 percent less than in 1980, and fluctuations in total withdrawals during the 5-year intervals between 

1985 and 2005 were never more than 5 percent. 

Several factors may be attributed to the 20 percent 

decline in total thermoelectric withdrawals. Since the 1970s, 

an increasing number of powerplants were built with or 

converted to recirculating cooling systems or dry cooling 

systems, which use less water than powerplants with oncethrough cooling systems. Withdrawals at powerplants have 

declined in some States due to the implementation of new 

rules designed to minimize adverse effects to aquatic life at 

powerplant intakes. The decrease in use of coal and increase 

in use of natural gas and new powerplants coming online that 

use more water-efficient cooling technology also have helped 

to reduce withdrawals for thermoelectric power.

The plant-specific information pertaining to cooling 

systems, water sources, and net power generation provided 

estimates of thermoelectric-power withdrawals from the 

linked heat and water budget models. These data were used 

in place of data reported to EIA if plant-reported data were 

not available. Finally, between 2005 and 2010, the closing 

of once-through plants also contributed significantly to the 

reduction in total withdrawals. Withdrawals in California 

were nearly 50 percent less between 2005 and 2010 primarily 

due to plant closures and upgrades to intakes and cooling 

systems implemented in order to comply with State regulations (California State Water Resources Control Board, 2013).

Net power generation associated with thermoelectric 

power was 3,130,000 gWh in 2010 (table 12), or about 

2.5 percent less than the 3,200,000 gWh in 2005. Net 

power generation increased nearly 50 percent between 1985 

(2,140,000 gWh) and 2010. On average, 19 gallons were used 

to produce 1 kWh of electricity in 2010, compared to almost 

23 gal/kWh in 2005.

Irrigation withdrawals were 9 percent less between 2005 

and 2010, from 127 Bgal/d to 115 Bgal/d, a level not reported 

since before 1965. This marks the second consecutive 

5-year period of decline in irrigation withdrawals and placed 

2010 withdrawals 23 percent less than 1980, when withdrawals peaked. However, irrigation withdrawals remained 
Trends in Water Use, 1950–2010 45

the second-largest category of use after thermoelectric. In 

1950, irrigation withdrawals accounted for 64 percent of 

total freshwater withdrawals excluding thermoelectric, and 

in 2010 irrigation withdrawals accounted for 61 percent 

of total freshwater withdrawals excluding thermoelectric. 

Between 1985 and 2010, the majority of irrigation water was 

supplied by surface-water sources, ranging from 66 percent in 

1985 to 57 percent in 2010. The use of more water-efficient 

irrigation systems continued to increase with nearly 3 percent 

more irrigated acres using sprinkler systems in 2010 than in 

2005. Nearly 2 percent fewer irrigated acres were reported 

using flood (surface) irrigation systems in 2010 compared to 

2005. Microirrigation systems showed the largest percentage 

increase between 2005 and 2010, with 14 percent more irrigated acres with this type of system. Total irrigated acres were 

only 2 percent more in 2010 than in 2005. 

Public-supply withdrawals in 2010 were 5 percent less 

than in 2005, decreasing from 44.3 Bgal/d to 42.0 Bgal/d and 

marking the first decline since public-supply withdrawals were 

initially reported in 1950. Total public-supply withdrawals in 

2010 were at levels not reported since prior to 2000. During 

decadal periods between 1950 and 1960, public-supply 

withdrawals increased 50 percent in conjunction with the 

high population growth rates during those periods. Percentage 

increases in public-supply withdrawals during the next three 

decadal periods between 1960 and 1990 averaged 23 percent, 

again coinciding with the rate of growth in population during 

the same time periods. Between 1990 and 2000, the rate of 

increase in public-supply withdrawals was lower at 12 percent. 

Between 1990 and 2010, public-supply withdrawals have been 

roughly 60 percent from surface water and 40 percent from 

groundwater sources. The percentage of the population that 

is served from public-supply withdrawals has increased from 

62 percent in 1950 to 86 percent in 2010. 

Self-supplied domestic withdrawals declined 3 percent 

between 2005 and 2010, from 3.71 Bgal/d to 3.60 Bgal/d. 

Since 1985, the rate of change in self-supplied domestic withdrawals has remained fairly steady with, at most, a 6 percent 

increase (1995–2000). Between 1985 and 2010, the percentage 

of total population that was self-supplied has continuously 

declined, from about 18 percent to 14 percent. The average per 

capita use for self-supplied domestic withdrawals decreased 

from 89 gallons per day in 2005 to 81 gallons per day in 

2010. Estimates of self-supplied domestic withdrawals are 

computed either using a standard coefficient of use or a 

coefficient derived from data about public-supply domestic 

Table 14. Trends in estimated water use in the United States, 1950–2010.

[Data for 2005 and earlier from Kenny and others (2009). Water-use data are in billion gallons per day (thousand million gallons per day) and are rounded to 

two significant figures for 1950 – 80, and to three significant figures for 1985–2005; percentage change is calculated from unrounded numbers. Geographic 

extent: 1950, 48 States and District of Columbia, and Hawaii; 1955, 48 States and District of Columbia; 1960 and 1975–2005, 50 States and District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands; 1965 –70, 50 States and District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico]

Year Percentage

change

2005 to 2010 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Population, in millions 150.7 164 179.3 193.8 205.9 216.4 229.6 242.4 252.3 267.1 285.3 300.7 313 4

Total withdrawals 180 240 270 310 370 420 430 397 404 1

398 413 1409 355 –13

Public supply 14 17 21 24 27 29 33 136.6 138.7 40.2 143.3 144.3 42.0 –5

Rural domestic and

 livestock

 Self-supplied

 domestic

2.1 2.1 2.0 2.3 2.6 2.8 3.4 3.32 3.39 3.39 3.58 13.71 3.60 –3

 Livestock 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.23 2.25 2.28 12.39 12.15 2.00 –7

Irrigation 89 110 110 120 130 140 150 135 134 130 139 1127 115 –9

Thermoelectric power 40 72 100 130 170 200 210 187 194 190 195 201 161 –20

Other 

 Self-supplied

 industrial 

37 39 38 46 47 45 45 125.8 122.5 121.6 19.7 118.1 15.9 –12

 Mining (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 3.44 4.93 13.59 14.16 13.83 5.32 39

 Commercial (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 1.23 2.39 2.89 (2) (2) (2)

 Aquaculture (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 2.24 12.24 13.23 1 5.78 18.84 9.42 7

Source of water

Ground

 Fresh 34 47 50 60 68 82 83 73.4 179.4 176.3 184.4 178.9 76.0 –4

 Saline (2) 0.6 0.4 0.5 1.0 1.0 0.93 0.66 1.22 1.11 12.48 11.51 3.29 118

Surface

 Fresh 140 180 190 210 250 260 280 263 1256 261 265 270 230 –15

 Saline 10 18 31 43 53 69 71 59.6 167.1 59.7 61.0 159.4 45.0 –24

1

Revised data values.

2

Data not available.

3

Included in self-supplied industrial category.
Figure 13. Trends in population and freshwater withdrawals by source, 1950–2010.

Figure 14. Trends in total water withdrawals by water-use category, 1950–2010.

Groundwater

Surface water

Total

Population

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Figure 13.

EXPLANATION

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Population, in millions

Withdrawals, in billion gallons per day

Public supply

Rural domestic and livestock

Irrigation

Thermoelectric power

Other

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

 Withdrawals, in billion gallons per day

 Total withdrawals, in billion gallons per day

500

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

Total withdrawals (see right axis)

EXPLANATION

Figure 14.

46 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010
The Plant Bowen coal-fired powerplant outside Euharlee in Bartow County, Georgia. Photo by Alan Cressler, USGS.

Trends in Water Use, 1950–2010 47

of wood products, primary metals, paper, and chemicals, all of 

which had lower production following the 2008 U.S. recession 

(Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2014).

Livestock, mining, and aquaculture withdrawals were 

included with other categories prior to 1985. Livestock 

initially was included with rural domestic, but since 1960 has 

been estimated as a separate category and has consistently 

accounted for about 1 percent of total withdrawals excluding 

thermoelectric throughout the 1960–2010 period. Withdrawals 

for livestock decreased 7 percent from 2.15 Bgal/d in 2005 to 

2.00 Bgal/d in 2010, showing the second consecutive period of 

decline. Livestock withdrawals in 2010 were 16 percent less 

than the peak year of 2000, when 2.39 Bgal/d was reported. 

Mining withdrawals were 5.32 Bgal/d in 2010, or a 

39 percent increase over 2005 (3.83 Bgal/d). This represented 

the largest percentage increase of any category of use between 

2005 and 2010, but since mining is a relatively small category 

in terms of total withdrawals, the increase did not offset the 

large national decreases in total water use. Prior to 1985, 

mining was included in other industrial withdrawals, but since 

1985 has represented from 1.6 to 2.7 percent of total withdrawals excluding thermoelectric. Trends in mining withdrawals have fluctuated between 1985 and 2010, ranging from 

an increase of 43 percent between 1985 and 1990, followed by 

a 27 percent decrease between 1990 and 1995. 

 Aquaculture withdrawals were 9.42 Bgal/d in 2010, or 

a 7 percent increase from 2005. Aquaculture was the other 

category along with mining that showed an increase in withdrawals between 2005 and 2010. Since 1985, aquaculture has 

grown from 1 percent of total withdrawals excluding thermoelectric to almost 5 percent in 2010 with the most increase 

change between 1995 and 2000 when the total withdrawals 

increased nearly 80 percent. 

deliveries. The national average public-supply domestic 

delivery per capita use declined from 105 gallons per day in 

1985 to 89 gallons per day in 2010. The decline in the selfsupplied domestic per capita use is most likely a function of 

the decline in the public-supply domestic delivery per capita 

use. In particular, California (7 percent self-supplied population) reported 179 gpcd for self-supplied domestic use in 

2005, and 69 gpcd in 2010. Similarly, Texas (10 percent selfsupplied population) and Wisconsin (30 percent self-supplied 

population) both reported 8 percent declines in self-supplied 

domestic per capita use between 2005 and 2010. 

Changes in the industrial category can be compared for 

1985 through 2010, which are the years this category was 

compiled separately for commercial, mining, and aquaculture 

uses. Total industrial withdrawals decreased 12 percent 

between 2005 and 2010, continuing the decline shown each 

period since 1985. Total industrial withdrawals decreased by 

38 percent between 1985 to 2010, from 25.8 Bgal/d in 1985 to 

15.9 Bgal/d in 2010. Groundwater provided 14 percent of the 

total industrial withdrawals in 1985; this proportion has been 

in the range of 17 to 18 percent since. Almost all of the industrial groundwater withdrawals were freshwater. Fresh surfacewater withdrawals have accounted for more than 90 percent 

of surface-water withdrawals for industrial use since 1995 and 

was 93 percent in 2010.

Declines in industrial withdrawals reflects greater efficiencies in industrial processes and an emphasis on water 

reuse and recycling within industrial facilities, both driven by 

environmental regulations and limited availability of freshwater resources in some areas. The larger decline in industrial 

withdrawals from 2005 to 2010 compared to 2000 to 2005 

(12 percent compared to 8 percent) may be due in part to 

lower industrial production in the major water-using industries 
48 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

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Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2014, 

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Lovelace, J.K., 2009b, Methods for estimating water withdrawals

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http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2009/5053/.

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Murray, C.R., 1968, Estimated use of water in the United 

States, 1965: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 556, 53 p.

Murray, C.R., and Reeves, E.B., 1972, Estimated use of water

in the United States, 1970: U.S. Geological Survey 

Circular 676, 37 p.

Murray, C.R., and Reeves, E.B., 1977, Estimated use of water

in the United States in 1975: U.S. Geological Survey 

Circular 765, 39 p.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National 

Climate Data Center, 2010, State of the climate, Entire 

report–annual 2010, accessed August 25, 2014, at 

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/2010/13.

Price, C,V., and Maupin, M,A., 2014, Documentation for 

the U.S. Geological Survey Public Supply Database 

(PSDB)—A database of permitted public-supply wells, 

surface-water intakes, and systems in the United States: 

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1212, 14 p.

Solley, W.B., Chase, E.B., and Mann, W.B., IV, 1983, 

Estimated use of water in the United States in 1980: U.S. 

Geological Survey Circular 1001, 56 p.

Solley, W.B., Merk, C.F., and Pierce, R.R., 1988, Estimated 

use of water in the United States in 1985: U.S. Geological 

Survey Circular 1004, 82 p.

Solley, W.B., Pierce, R.R., and Perlman, H.A., 1993, 

Estimated use of water in the United States in 1990: 

U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1081, 76 p.

Solley, W.B., Pierce, R.R., and Perlman, H.A., 1998, 

Estimated use of water in the United States in 1995: 

U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1200, 71 p.

U.S. Census Bureau, 2011, Population distribution and 

changes—2000 to 2010: United States Census Bureau, 

access July 7, 2014, at http://www.census.gov/prod/

cen2010/briefs/c2010br-01.pdf.

U.S. Department of Energy, 2011, Annual energy outlook 

2011 with projections to 2035: U.S. Energy Information 

Administration, Office of Integrated and International 

Energy Analysis, DOE/EIA-0383(2011), 235 p.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2014, Laws &

Statues—The Safe Drinking Water Act, accessed

March 14, 2014, at http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/

guidance/sdwa/laws_statutes.cfm.

Veil, J.A., 2007, Use of reclaimed water for power plant 

cooling: Argonne, Ill., Argonne National Laboratory, 

Environmental Science Division, ANL/EVS/R-07/3, 60 p.
Glossary 49

Glossary

The following terms are referenced in the text or are part of the water-use Circular series.

animal-specialties water use Water use associated with the production of fish in captivity, except 

for fish hatcheries, and the raising of horses and 

such fur-bearing animals as rabbits and pets. 

Animal-specialties water-use estimates were 

included in the 1990 and 1995 water-use Circulars, 

but were combined with the livestock categories 

or aquaculture categories beginning in 2000. See 

also aquaculture water use, fish-farm water use, 

livestock water use, and rural water use.

aquaculture water use Water use associated 

with the farming of organisms that live in water 

(such as finfish and shellfish) and offstream water 

use associated with fish hatcheries. See also fishfarm water use, fish-hatchery water use, animalspecialties water use, and livestock water use.

closed-loop cooling system See recirculation 

cooling system. 

commercial water use Water for motels, hotels, 

restaurants, office buildings, other commercial 

facilities, military and nonmilitary institutions, 

and (for 1990 and 1995) offstream fish hatcheries. 

Water may be obtained from a public-supply 

system or may be self-supplied. Commercial 

water-use estimates were included in some 

previous water-use Circulars but were omitted 

beginning in 2000. See also fish-hatchery water 

use, public-supply water use, public-supply deliveries, and self-supplied water use.

consumptive use The part of water withdrawn 

that is evaporated, transpired, incorporated 

into products or crops, consumed by humans 

or livestock, or otherwise removed from the 

immediate water environment. Consumptive-use 

estimates were included in some previous wateruse Circulars but were omitted beginning in 2000. 

Also referred to as water consumed. 

conveyance loss Water that is lost in transit 

from a pipe, canal, conduit, or ditch by leakage or 

evaporation. Generally, the water is not available 

for further use; however, leakage from an irrigation ditch, for example, may percolate to a groundwater source and be available for further use. 

Conveyance-loss estimates were included in some 

previous water-use Circulars but were omitted 

beginning in 2000. See also irrigation water use. 

cooling system An equipment system that 

provides water for cooling purposes, such as to 

condensers at powerplants or at factories. May 

include water intakes, outlets, cooling towers, 

ponds, canals, pumps, and pipes. See also coolingsystem type, industrial water use, and thermoelectric-power water use. 

cooling-system type Defined as either oncethrough or recirculation cooling system. See also 

industrial water use, once-through cooling system, 

recirculation cooling system, and thermoelectricpower water use. 

domestic water use Water used for indoor 

household purposes such as drinking, food 

preparation, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, 

flushing toilets, and outdoor purposes such as 

watering lawns and gardens. Domestic water use 

includes water provided to households by a public 

water supply (domestic deliveries from public 

suppliers) and self-supplied water. See also publicsupply deliveries, public-supply water use, rural 

water use, and self-supplied water use.

fish-farm water use Water used for the production of finfish and shellfish under controlled 

feeding, sanitation, and harvesting procedures for 

commercial purposes. Water use by fish farms is 

classified in the aquaculture category. See also

animal-specialties water use, aquaculture water 

use, and fish-hatchery water use. 

fish-hatchery water use Water used for raising 

fish for later release and in association with the 

operation of fish hatcheries or fishing preserves. 

Fish-hatchery water use has been included in the 

aquaculture category since 2000. See also aquaculture water use, commercial water use, and fish-farm 

water use. 

freshwater Water that contains less than

1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of dissolved 

solids. Generally, water with more than 500 mg/L 

of dissolved solids is undesirable for drinking and 

many industrial uses. See also saline water.

industrial water use Water used for fabrication, processing, washing, and cooling. Includes 

industries such as chemical and allied products, 

food, mining, paper and allied products, petroleum refining, and steel. Term used in previous 
50 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

water-use Circulars to describe the combined 

public-supply deliveries to industrial users and 

self-supplied industrial withdrawals. Since 2000, 

industrial water use refers only to self-supplied 

industrial withdrawals. See also cooling system, 

cooling-system type, mining water use, publicsupply deliveries, public-supply water use, and 

self-supplied water use.

instream use Water that is used, but not withdrawn, from a surface-water source for such 

purposes as hydroelectric-power generation, 

navigation, water-quality improvement, fish 

propagation, and recreation. Instream water-use 

estimates for hydroelectric power were included 

in some previous water-use Circulars but were 

omitted since 2000. 

irrigation district A cooperative, self-governing 

public corporation set up as a subdivision of 

the State government, with definite geographic 

boundaries, organized, and having taxing power to 

obtain and distribute water for irrigation of lands 

within the district. Created under the authority of 

a State legislature with the consent of a designated 

fraction of the landowners or citizens. See also

irrigation water use.

irrigation water use Water that is applied by an 

irrigation system to assist crop and pasture growth, 

or to maintain vegetation on recreational lands 

such as parks and golf courses. Irrigation includes 

water that is applied for pre-irrigation, frost 

protection, chemical application, weed control, 

field preparation, crop cooling, harvesting, dust 

suppression, leaching of salts from the root zone, 

and conveyance losses. See also conveyance loss, 

microirrigation system, sprinkler irrigation system, 

and surface irrigation system.

livestock water use Water used for livestock 

watering, feedlots, dairy operations, and other 

on-farm needs. Types of livestock include dairy 

cows and heifers, beef cattle and calves, sheep and 

lambs, goats, hogs and pigs, horses and poultry. 

See also animal-specialties water use, aquaculture 

water use, and rural water use. 

microirrigation system An irrigation system that 

wets only a discrete portion of the soil surface 

in the vicinity of the plant by means of applicators (such as orifices, emitters, porous tubing, or 

perforated pipe) and operated under low pressure. 

The applicators may be placed on or below the 

surface of the ground or suspended from supports. 

See also irrigation water use, sprinkler irrigation 

system, and surface irrigation system.

mining water use Water used for the extraction 

of naturally occurring minerals including solids 

(such as coal, sand, gravel, and other ores), liquids 

(such as crude petroleum), and gases (such as 

natural gas). Also includes uses associated with 

quarrying, milling of mined materials, injection 

of water for secondary oil recovery or for unconventional oil and gas recovery (such as hydraulic 

fracturing), and other operations associated with 

mining activity. Does not include water associated 

with dewatering of the aquifer that is not put to 

beneficial use. Also does not include water used in 

processing, such as smelting, refining petroleum, 

or slurry pipeline operations. These processing 

uses are included in industrial water use. See also

industrial water use and self-supplied water use.

offstream use Water withdrawn or diverted 

from a groundwater or surface-water source for 

aquaculture, commercial, self-supplied domestic, 

industrial, irrigation, livestock, mining, public 

supply, thermoelectric power, and other uses. See 

also entries for each of these categories of use. 

once-through cooling system Also known as 

open-loop cooling system. Cooling system in 

which the water is withdrawn from a source, 

circulated through the heat exchangers, and then 

returned to a body of water at a higher temperature. See also cooling system, cooling-system 

type, industrial water use, and thermoelectricpower water use.

public-supply deliveries Amount of water delivered from a public supplier to users for domestic, 

commercial, industrial, thermoelectric-power, or 

public-use purposes. Estimates of deliveries for 

each purpose were provided for 1995 and earlier 

years, but not for 2000. For 2005 and 2010, only 

domestic deliveries were estimated nationally. 

See also commercial water use, domestic water 

use, industrial water use, public-supply water use, 

public water use, and thermoelectric-power use. 

public-supply water use Water withdrawn by 

public and private water suppliers that furnish 

water to at least 25 people or have a minimum of 

15 connections. Public suppliers provide water for 

a variety of uses, such as domestic, commercial, 

industrial, thermoelectric-power, and public water 

use. See also commercial water use, domestic 

water use, industrial water use, public-supply 

deliveries, public water use, and thermoelectricpower water use. 
Glossary 51

public water use Water supplied from a public 

supplier and used for such purposes as firefighting, street washing, flushing of water lines, 

and maintaining municipal parks and swimming 

pools. Generally, public-use water is not billed by 

the public supplier. See also public-supply deliveries and public-supply water use. 

recirculation cooling system Also known as 

closed-loop cooling system. Water is withdrawn 

from a source, circulated through heat exchangers, 

cooled, and then re-used in the same process. 

Recirculation cooling systems may use induced 

draft cooling towers, forced draft cooling towers, 

cooling ponds, or canals. See also cooling system, 

cooling-system type, industrial water use, and 

thermoelectric-power water use.

reclaimed wastewater Wastewater-treatment 

plant effluent that has been diverted for beneficial 

uses such as irrigation, industry, or thermoelectricpower cooling instead of being released to a 

natural waterway or aquifer. See also water use.

return flow Water that reaches a groundwater or 

surface-water source after release from the point 

of use and thus becomes available for further use. 

See also water use.

rural water use Water used in suburban or 

farm areas for domestic and livestock needs. The 

water generally is self-supplied, and includes 

domestic use, drinking water for livestock, and 

other uses such as dairy sanitation, cleaning, and 

waste disposal. Term used in previous water-use 

Circulars. See also animal-specialties water use, 

domestic water use, livestock water use, and selfsupplied water use. 

saline water Water that contains 1,000 mg/L or 

more of dissolved solids. See also freshwater.

self-supplied water use Water withdrawn from a 

groundwater or surface-water source by a user rather 

than being obtained from a public-supply source. 

sprinkler irrigation system An irrigation system 

in which water is applied by means of perforated 

pipes or nozzles operated under pressure so 

as to form a spray pattern. See also irrigation 

water use, microirrigation system, and surface 

irrigation system.

standard industrial classification (SIC) codes

Four-digit codes established by the Office of 

Management and Budget, published in 1987, and 

used in the classification of establishments by type 

of activity in which they are engaged. 

surface irrigation system Irrigation by means 

of flood, furrow, or gravity. Flood irrigation is the 

application of irrigation water in which the entire 

soil surface is covered by ponded water. Furrow 

is a partial surface-flooding method of irrigation 

normally used with clean-tilled crops in which 

water is applied in furrows or rows of sufficient 

capacity to contain the design irrigation stream. 

Gravity is an irrigation method in which water is 

not pumped, but flows in ditches or pipes and is 

distributed by gravity. See also irrigation water 

use, microirrigation system, and sprinkler irrigation system.

thermoelectric-power water use Water used in 

the process of generating electricity with steamdriven turbine generators. Term used in previous 

water-use Circulars to describe the combined 

public-supply deliveries to thermoelectric-powerplants and self-supplied thermoelectric-power 

withdrawals. Since 2000, thermoelectric-power 

water use refers only to self-supplied thermoelectric-power withdrawals. See also cooling system, 

cooling-system type, public-supply water use, and 

self-supplied water use. 

wastewater-treatment return flow Term used 

in previous water-use Circulars to describe water 

returned to the hydrologic system by wastewatertreatment facilities. See also water use.

water use In a restrictive sense, the term refers 

to water that is withdrawn for a specific purpose, 

such as for public supply, domestic use, irrigation, thermoelectric-power cooling, or industrial 

processing. In previous water-use Circulars, water 

use for the domestic, commercial, industrial, and 

thermoelectric categories included both selfsupplied withdrawals and deliveries from public 

supply. More broadly, water use pertains to the 

interaction of humans with and influence on the 

hydrologic cycle, and includes elements such as 

water withdrawal, delivery, consumptive use, 

wastewater release, reclaimed wastewater, return 

flow, and instream use. See also offstream use and 

instream use.

water withdrawal Water removed from a 

groundwater or surface-water source for use. See 

also offstream use and self-supplied water use.

watt-hour (Wh) An electrical energy unit of 

measure equal to 1 watt of power supplied to, or 

taken from, an electric circuit steadily for 1 hour.
52 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

Alabama

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of Water Resources, Water Management Branch 

Alabama Department of Environmental Management, 

Drinking Water Branch

Alaska

Alaska Department of Administration, Oil and Gas 

Conservation Commission

Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and 

Economic Development

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, 

Division of Water

Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Alaska Department of Natural Resources, 

Division of Agriculture

Alaska Department of Natural Resources, 

Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys

Alaska Department of Natural Resources, 

Division of Mining Land and Water

Alaska Department of Natural Resources, 

Division of Oil and Gas

University of Alaska, Cooperative Extension Service

Arizona

Arizona Department of Water Resources

Arkansas

Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts

Arkansas Department of Health, Engineering Division

Arkansas Natural Resources Commission 

California

California Department of Food and Agriculture, Annual 

County Agriculture Commissioner Reports 

California Department of Public Health 

California Department of Water Resources, Land and Water Use

California State Water Resources Control Board, 

Water Recycling Funding Program

Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations

Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

Colorado

Colorado Department of Health and Environment

Colorado Division of Local Affairs

Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety

Colorado Division of Water Resources 

Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association

Connecticut

State of Connecticut Department of 

Environmental Protection

Delaware

Calpine Mid-Atlantic Generation LLC

City of Lewes, Delaware

City of Newark, Delaware

City of Wilmington, Brandywine Pumping Station,

Delaware

Cogentrix (Logan Generating Co. LP)

Delaware Agricultural Extension Service

Delaware City Refinery (former Premcor)

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and 

Environmental Control

FPL Energy, Marcus Hook, LP

General Chemical Corp.

Indian River Power, LLC

NACP irrigated data (2012)

NRG Indian River Power LLC

United Water Comp., Delaware

Florida

Florida Department of Environmental Protection,

Office of Water Policy 

Northwest Florida Water Management District 

South Florida Water Management District 

Southwest Florida Water Management District 

St. Johns River Water Management District 

Suwannee River Water Management District

Cooperating Agencies and Organizations

The following State, regional, and local organizations provided assistance and data as part of the water-use compilation. 

In addition, State, regional, and national offices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. 

Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

National Agricultural Statistics Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service, Natural 

Resources Conservation Service, and other Federal agencies provided assistance and data for various States.
Cooperating Agencies and Organizations 53

Georgia

Georgia Environmental Protection Division, 

Watershed Protection Branch

Georgia Power Company

Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission

University of Georgia, Cooperative Extension Service

Hawaii

Hawaii Department of Water Supply

Hawaiian Electric Company

Honolulu Board of Water Supply

Kauai Department of Water

Maui Department of Water Supply

Idaho

Idaho Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Statistics Service

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality

Idaho Department of Fish and Game

Idaho Department of Labor

Idaho Department of Water Resources

Idaho Power Company

United Water Idaho

University of Idaho, Research and Extension Center at Kimberly

Illinois

Exelon Corporation

Illinois Association of Wastewater Agencies

Illinois State Water Survey—Illinois Water Inventory Program

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Services Agency

Indiana

Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water

Iowa

Iowa Department of Natural Resources—

Water Allocation and Use Program

Kansas

Kansas Department of Agriculture—Division of Water Resources

Kansas Water Office

Kentucky

Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, Department of 

Environmental Protection, Division of Water

Louisiana

Capitol Area Ground Water Conservation Committee

Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development

Louisiana Office of Conservation - Injection and Mining Division

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center

Maine

Maine Department of Agriculture

Maine Department of Environmental Protection

Maine Department of Health and Human Services

Maine Geological Survey

Maine Public Utilities Commission

Maryland

Maryland Department of the Environment

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

Michigan

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality,

Water Use Program

Minnesota

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Mississippi

Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Extension Service

Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, 

Office of Land and Water Resources 

Mississippi State Department of Health 

Yazoo Mississippi Delta Joint Management District

Missouri

Missouri Department of Natural Resources 

Montana

Dry Prairie Rural Water Authority

Fort Peck Rural County Water District

Hill County Water District

Montana Department of Environmental Quality

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation

Montana Department of Revenue

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Montana State University, Central Agricultural Research Center

Montana Water Company

Multiple cities in Montana
54 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

PPL Montana

Prairie County Community Hospital

Rosebud Operating Services, Inc.

Valley Capitol, Inc.

Nebraska

Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District

Central Platte Natural Resource District

Lewis and Clark Natural Resource District

Little Blue Natural Resource District

Lower Big Blue Natural Resource District

Lower Elkhorn Natural Resource District

Lower Loup Natural Resource District

Lower Niobrara Natural Resource District

Lower Platte North Natural Resource District

Lower Republican Natural Resource District

Middle Republican Natural Resource District

Nebraska Association of Natural Resource Districts

Nebraska Department of Natural Resources

Nemaha Natural Resource District

North Platte Natural Resource District

South Platte Natural Resource District

Tri-Basin Natural Resource District

Twin Platte Natural Resource District

Upper Big Blue Natural Resource District

Upper Elkhorn Natural Resource District

Upper Loup Natural Resource District

Upper Niobrara-White Natural Resource District

Upper Republican Natural Resource District

Nevada

Boulder City Water Department

Carson City Public Works

Chevron Global Power Company

Colorado River Commission

Federal Water Master

Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology

Nevada Commission on Mineral Resources

Nevada Department of Business and Industry

Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, 

Division of Environmental Protection

Nevada Department of Wildlife 

Nevada Division of Water Resources

Pershing County Water Conservation District

Southern Nevada Water Authority

Truckee Carson Irrigation District

Truckee Meadows Water Authority

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Virgin Valley Water District

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, 

Water Management Bureau

New Jersey

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

New Mexico

New Mexico Office of the State Engineer—

Water Conservation Bureau

New York

New York City Department of Environmental Protection

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

New York State Department of Health

North Carolina

Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association

Duke Energy Company

North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer 

Services, Agribusiness and Aquaculture 

North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural 

Resources, Division of Water Resources 

North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and 

Life Sciences, Cooperative Extension

North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and 

Life Sciences, Department of Crop Science

Progress Energy Company

North Dakota

North Dakota Industrial Commission - Oil and Gas Division

North Dakota Regional Water Systems

North Dakota Rural Water Systems Association

North Dakota State Climate Office

North Dakota State Data Center - North Dakota State University

North Dakota State Department of Commerce

North Dakota State University, Department of Agriculture

North Dakota State Water Commission

Ohio

Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Oklahoma

City of Oklahoma City—Water & Wastewater Utilities

City of Tulsa—Department of Public Works

Grand River Dam Authority

National Weather Service

Oklahoma Agricultural Statistics Service

Oklahoma Climatological Survey

Oklahoma Corporation Commission

Oklahoma Department of Commerce

Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality

Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority

Oklahoma Water Resources Board

Southwest Power Administration

Oregon

Oregon Golf Association

Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Services

Oregon State University Extension Service

Oregon Water Resources Department

Pennsylvania

Delaware River Basin Commission

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority

Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture 

Puerto Rico Department of Health 

Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental 

Resources

Puerto Rico Electric and Power Authority

Puerto Rico Land Authority

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Rhode Island Department of Health

Rhode Island Water Resources Board

South Carolina

Duke Energy Corporation

Santee Cooper Power

South Carolina Department of Health and 

Environmental Control

South Carolina Electric and Gas

South Dakota

South Dakota Department of Agriculture

South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural 

Resources

Tennessee

Memphis Light, Gas and Water

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, 

Division of Water Resources

Tennessee Valley Authority

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Texas

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 

Texas Railroad Commission

Texas Water Development Board—Water Use and 

Projections & Planning 

U.S. Virgin Islands

U.S. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority 

Utah

State of Utah Automated Geographic Reference Center

Utah Department of Agriculture

Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil, 

Gas, and Mining

Utah Department of Natural Resources,

Division of Water Resources

Utah Department of Natural Resources,

Division of Water Rights

Utah Department of Natural Resources,

Division of Wildlife Resources

Vermont

Champlain Water District

Vermont Agency of Natural Resources,

Department of Environmental Conservation

Vermont Golf Course Superintendents Association

Virginia

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality,

Water Supply Planning Program

Virginia Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water

Washington

Washington State Department of Ecology

Washington State Department of Health

Cooperating Agencies and Organizations 55
56 Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010

West Virginia

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection,

Division of Water And Waste Management

West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, 

Bureau for Public Health

West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey

Wisconsin

Public Service Commission of Wisconsin—

Water and Energy Divisions

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Wyoming

Wyoming Agricultural Statistics Service

Wyoming Department of Employment

Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

Wyoming Water Development Commission
Manuscript approved on September 24, 2014

Prepared by the USGS Science Publishing Network

Raleigh Publishing Service Center (PSC)

Edited by Kay P. Naugle

Illustrations and layout by Caryl J. Wipperfurth

Cover by Carol A. Quesenberry, Denver PSC

For more information about this publication contact:

U.S. Geological Survey

National Water Use Program 

wu-info@usgs.gov

http://water.usgs.gov/watuse/
Maupin and others—Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2010—Circular 1405

ISSN 1067-084X (Print)

ISSN 2330-5703 (Online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/cir1405 Printed on recycled paper