WITHDRAWALS OF GROUND WATER AND SURFACE WATER 

IN NEW JERSEY, 1991-92

By John P. Nawyn 

Open-File Report 98-282

Prepared in cooperation with the

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

West Trenton, New Jersey 

1998

science 

USGS

for a changing world
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Thomas J. Casadevall, Director

For additional information 

write to:

District Chief 

U.S Geological Survey 

Mountain View Office Park 

810 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 206 

West Trenton, NJ 08628

Copies of this report can be 

purchased from:

U.S. Geological Survey 

Branch of Information Services 

Box 25286 

Denver, CO 80225-0286
CONTENTS

Page

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

Introduction......................................................................................._^

Purpose and scope................................................................................................................2

Description of study area.....................................................................................................2

Hydrogeology ..........................................................................................................2

Hydrologic cataloging units.....................................................................................7

Climate....................................................................................................................?

Collection of withdrawal data............................................................................................13

Data sources and compilation ................................................................................13

Methods used to estimate water withdrawals........................................................14

Reliability of data...................................................................................................14

Presentation of data................................................................................................ 16

Previous investigations .....................................................................................................17

Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................^

Withdrawals of ground water and surface water ...........................................................................18

Public supply......................................................................................................................18

Deliveries by public suppliers................................................................................22

Per capita use.........................................................................................................22

Transfer of surface-water withdrawals ..................................................................25

Withdrawals by county ..........................................................................................25

Withdrawals by hydrologic cataloging unit...........................................................28

Withdrawals by aquifer and physiographic province ............................................28

Domestic............................................................................................................................35

Commercial........................................................................................................................35

Withdrawals by county ..........................................................................................37

Withdrawals by hydrologic cataloging unit...........................................................37

Withdrawals by aquifer and physiographic province ............................................37

Irrigation ............................................................................................................................37

Withdrawals by county ..........................................................................................40

Withdrawals by hydrologic cataloging unit...........................................................40

Withdrawals by aquifer and physiographic province ............................................40

Industrial............................................................................................................................41

Withdrawals by county ..........................................................................................43

Withdrawals by hydrologic cataloging unit ...........................................................43

Withdrawals by aquifer and physiographic province ...........................................44

Mining................................................................................................................................44

Withdrawals by county ..........................................................................................45

Withdrawals by hydrologic cataloging unit...........................................................45

Withdrawals by aquifer and physiographic province ............................................45

Thermoelectric power........................................................................................................45

Withdrawals by county ..........................................................................................47

Withdrawals by hydrologic cataloging unit...........................................................47

in
CONTENTS-Continued

Page

Withdrawals by aquifer and physiographic province ............................................47

Summary ............................................................................................................ ............................47

References cited.............................. ...............................................................................................49

Glossary ................................................................................................................................... ......56

ILLUSTRATIONS

Figures 1-4. Maps showing:

1. Counties in New Jersey... ................................................................................ ...3

2. Physiographic provinces in New Jersey ............................................................4

3. Hydrologic cataloging units and codes in New Jersey ......................................8

4. Water-supply reservoirs and the Delaware and Raritan Canal in

New Jersey... .......................................................................................... ....11

5-7. Graphs showing:

5. Average monthly precipitation and temperature in New Jersey, 1991

6. Estimated average annual water deliveries, distribution-system

maintenance, and distribution losses by public suppliers in New Jersey, 

1991-92 .................................................................................................. ....15

7. Estimated population and average annual withdrawals by publicly 

supplied and self-supplied domestic users in New Jersey:

(A) population by county, 1992, and (B) average withdrawals by

county, 1991-92..... .............................................................................. .......23

8. Map showing transfers of surface water among public-supply systems in

New Jersey. .................................................................................................. ....26

9- 1 2. Graphs showing:

9. Average withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey

by county and category of use, 1991-92... ............................................ .....27

1 0. Average withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey 

by hydrologic cataloging unit, 1991-92, for: (A) public supply,

(B) commercial use, (C) irrigation use, (D) industrial use, (E) mining use, 

and (F) thermoelectric-power use ..............................................................29

1 1 . Average withdrawals of ground water in the Coastal Plain of New Jersey, 

1991-92, by: (A) aquifer and category of use, and (B) county and 

aquifer ................................................................................................ ........31

12. Average withdrawals of ground water in the non-Coastal Plain (Piedmont, 

Highlands, and Valley and Ridge) physiographic provinces in 

New Jersey, 1991-92, by: (A) aquifer and category of use, and 

(B) county and aquifer ...............................................................................36

IV
TABLES

Table 1. Characteristics of aquifers and wells in New Jersey...................................................5

2. Selected streams in New Jersey by hydrologic cataloging unit..................................9

3. Withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey by county and

category of use, 1991 ..........................................................................................19

4. Withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey by county and

category of use, 1992..........................................................................................20

5. Average withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey by

county and category of use, 1991-92 ..................................................................21

6. Estimated population of New Jersey by county and type of water supply, 1992 .....24

7. Average withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey by

hydrologic cataloging unit and category of use, 1991-92...................................30

8. Average withdrawals of ground water from Coastal Plain and non-Coastal Plain 

physiographic provinces in New Jersey by aquifer and category of use, 

1991-92...............................................................................................................32

9. Average withdrawals of ground water in New Jersey by physiographic province,

aquifer, and county, 1991-92...............................................................................33

10. Characteristics of farms in New Jersey, 1992 and 1993 ...........................................39

11. Characteristics of industrial establishments in New Jersey, 1992 ............................42
CONVERSION FACTORSS

Multiply By 

Length

To obtain

inch (in.) 

mile (mi)

25.4

1.609

millimeter 

kilometer

Area

acre

square foot (ft2)

square mile (mi2)

4,047

0.09294

2.590

square meter 

square meter 

square kilometer

Volume

gallon (gal)

million gallons (Mgal)

cubic feet (ft3)

0.003785

3,785

0.02832

cubic meter 

cubic meter 

cubic meter

Flow

gallon per day (gal/d) 0.003785

gallon per minute (gal/min) 0.06308

million gallons per day (Mgal/d) 0.0438

gigawatt-hour 1,000,000

cubic meter per day 

liters per second 

cubic meter per second 

kilowatt-hour

Temperature

degree Fahrenheit (°F) °C=5/9x(°F-32) degree Celsius (°C)

VI
WITHDRAWALS OF GROUND WATER AND SURFACE WATER 

IN NEW JERSEY, 1991-92

By John P. Nawyn

ABSTRACT

Withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey were compiled from monthly 

withdrawal data provided to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection by water 

users with pumping equipment capable of producing 100,000 gallons per day or more. In 1991, 

withdrawals in New Jersey totaled about 2,110 Mgal/d (million gallons per day)--576 Mgal/d of 

ground water and 1,534 Mgal/d of surface water. In 1992, withdrawals totaled about 2,090 

Mgal/d 571 Mgal/d of ground water and 1,519 Mgal/d of surface water.

During 1991-92, withdrawals for public supply averaged 1,099 Mgal/d and supplied 

6.8 million residents of the State. Domestic water use averaged 639 Mgal/d, including groundwater withdrawals of 79 Mgal/d and water deliveries from public suppliers of 560 Mgal/d. 

Commercial water use averaged 227 Mgal/d, including withdrawals of 17 Mgal/d of ground 

water, 1 Mgal/d of surface water, and water deliveries from public suppliers of 209 Mgal/d. 

Withdrawals for irrigation averaged 123 Mgal/d, including 22 Mgal/d of ground water and 

101 Mgal/d of surface water. Industrial water use in New Jersey averaged 342 Mgal/d during 

1991-92, including ground-water withdrawals of 50 Mgal/d, surface-water withdrawals of 

193 Mgal/d, and water deliveries from public suppliers of 99 Mgal/d. During 1991-92, average 

withdrawals for mining use in New Jersey were 33 Mgal/d, including 4 Mgal/d of ground water 

and 29 Mgal/d of surface water. Withdrawals for thermoelectric-power use averaged 532 Mgal/d, 

including ground-water withdrawals of 2 Mgal/d, surface-water withdrawals of 508 Mgal/d, and 

water deliveries from public suppliers of 22 Mgal/d.

INTRODUCTION

The water resources of New Jersey have contributed to the diversity of agricultural and 

industrial development of the State. Water in New Jersey was used for America's first brewery 

(1642) and to manufacture the Nation's first railroad (1824), revolver (1836), telephone (1838), 

light bulb (1879), and transistor (1948). The first water allocation for industrial use was issued in 

1791 to the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures, under the aegis of Alexander 

Hamilton, to develop the first planned industrial development in the United States. From this 

beginning, many important industries of the 20th century were commercially developed in the 

State, including plastics (1869), oil refining (1875), and pharmaceuticals (1885). In addition, the 

research facilities in the State contributed significantly to the development of radio, television, 

and computer technology (Kennedy and others, 1963; Federal Writers' Project of the Works 

Project Administration for the State of New Jersey, 1986).

Rapid industrialization and immigrant populations transformed the economy of New Jersey 

from a chiefly agricultural to an industrial-based economy. From 1860 to 1890, the urban
population of the State increased 40 percent in each decade (Vermeule, 1894). Public officials 

were concerned about the contamination of existing water resources and the availability of 

potable water in the future (Vermeule, 1894). During the new century, New Jersey initiated a 

comprehensive management program for its water resources, including monitoring the 

withdrawals of surface water for public supply (1907) and the withdrawals of ground water for 

public supply (1910); registering the drilling of all new wells and permitting the withdrawals of 

100,00 gallons or more during a 24-hour period (1947); and regulating the withdrawals of surface 

water by non-public-supply users (1963) (Capen, 1937; New Jersey Commission on Efficiency 

and Economy in State Government, 1967; Goldshore, 1983; Deitch, 1992).

This report is a product of the Cooperative Water-Use Program of the U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The 

study was conducted as part of this water-use program, which includes the collection of water-use 

data and its storage in the Site Specific Water-Use Data System (SSWUDS) and the Aggregate 

Water-Use Data System (AWUDS) data bases of the Water-Use Data System component of the 

National Water Information System, the USGS national water-data storage and retrieval system.

Purpose and Scope

This report presents data on the withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New 

Jersey during 1991-92. All withdrawal data are presented by type of water (ground water or 

surface water), category of use (public supply, domestic, commercial, industrial, irrigation, 

mining, and thermoelectric power), county, and hydrologic cataloging unit (HUC). In addition, 

data on ground-water withdrawals (except self-supplied domestic withdrawals) are compiled by 

aquifer and physiographic province.

Most withdrawal data in this report were compiled from monthly pumpage data submitted 

by water users to the NJDEP. Withdrawal data on self-supplied domestic users and small 

community public-supply systems were estimated and compiled by county.

Description of Study Area

New Jersey is a mid-Atlantic state that consists of 7,419 mi2 of land area and 1,303 mi2 of 

water area (Homer, 1992, p. 243), and is divided into 21 counties (fig. 1). In 1992, the population 

of New Jersey was estimated to be 7.8 million (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1994b). New Jersey is 

an important center for commerce, manufacturing, recreation, and scientific research.

Hydrogeology

The Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Highlands, and Valley and Ridge are the physiographic 

provinces in New Jersey (fig. 2; table 1). The Fall Line (fig. 2) separates the Coastal Plain, an area

of about 4,200 mi2 , from the consolidated rocks of the three northern provinces, an area of about 

3,300 mi2 (Quails and Horn, 1990, p. 368).
75

NEW YORK

PASSAIC /

l l

0 10 20 KILOMETERS

Figure 1. Counties in New Jersey.
75

40°

39°

Extent of

Wlsconsinan

glaciation

Figure 2. Physiographic provinces in New Jersey.
Table 1. Characteristics of aquifers and wells in New Jersey

[Data fromZapecza, 1989; Lyttle and Epstein, 1987; Sargent and others, 1985; Miller, 1974; Drake, 1969; and Vecchioli and Palmer, 19

Mgal/d, million gallons per day; gal/min, gallons per minute; ft, feet]

Well characteristics

Physiographic province

Aquifer and aquifer characteristics Depth (ft) Yield (gal/min) 

(Common range) (Common range) 

Coastal Plain

Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system:

Sand, quartz, fine- to coarse-grained, pebbly; local clay beds. 

Unconfined.

Rio Grande water-bearing zone:

Medium- to coarse-grained sand. Thin aquifer within confining 

unit that overlies the Atlantic City 800-foot sand. Confined.

Atlantic City 800-foot sand:

Sand, quartz, medium- to coarse-grained; gravel, with considerable amount of fragmented shell material. Confined.

Piney Point aquifer:

Glauconitic quartz sand and shell beds, fine- to coarse-grained. 

Confined.

Vincentown aquifer:

Sand, quartz, gray and green, fine- to coarse-grained, glauconitic. 

Chiefly confined.

Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer:

Sand, quartz, slightly glauconitic, very fine to coarse grained. 

Confined.

Englishtown aquifer system:

Sand, quartz, fine- to medium-grained, local clay beds. Confined.

Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system:

Three units (Upper, Middle, and Lower aquifers) recognized in 

Delaware River Valley. In the deep subsurface, the unit below the 

Upper aquifer is undifferentiated. Light-gray sand and quartz 

with interbedded material (clay, silt, or gravel) in areas. Confined and unconfined.

Coastal Plain aquifers

20-350 500-1,000

240-650 100-1,000

450 - 950 600 - 800

200-1,000 50-800

20 - 250

50-600

10-900

50 - 250

50-1,000 300-500

20-1,700 20-2,000

Major withdrawals are for public supp

Counties. Chief source of water for ag

Coastal Plain.

Most withdrawals are for public suppl

coastal areas of southern Ocean and A

Major confined aquifer along the barri

Counties.

Locally important aquifer in the Coast

extensive in the subsurface and extend

Ocean County.

Yields small to moderate quantities of 

extends from northeastern Monmouth 

County.

Most withdrawals are for public suppl

Locally important aquifer. Withdrawa

Ocean Counties.

The most heavily pumped aquifer sys

Delaware Bay. Present in all counties 

Cape May.
Table 1. Characteristics of aquifers and wells in New Jersey-Continued

Well characteristics

Physiographic province

Aquifer and aquifer characteristics Depth (ft) Yield (gal/min) 

(Common range) (Common range) 

Upper aquifer

Middle aquifer

Lower aquifer

20 -1,500 20 - 1,500 The most extensive unit of the aquifer 

withdrawals of ground water for public 

Old Bridge aquifer in Middlesex and M

20 -1,700 20 - 1,500 Major source of public-supply withdra

Counties. Major source of industrial w

the Farrington aquifer in Middlesex an

60 - 1,110 50 - 2,000 The most limited in extent of the three 

aquifer system. Major source of public

Gloucester, and Burlington Counties.

Piedmont Province, Highlands Province, and Valley and Ridge Province

Glacial-deposit aquifers:

Wisconsin and pre-Wisconsin glacial deposits consisting of sand 

and gravel with interbedded silt and clay. Unconfined except 

where overlain by lake silt and clay or till.

Non-Coastal Plain aquifers

10 - 300 100 - 1,000 Includes glacial buried-valley aquifer 

used aquifers in Morris and Warren Co

Piedmont Province

Aquifers of the Brunswick Group: 30 - 1,500 

Very fine- to coarse-grained sandstone, shale, siltstone, and redmatrix conglomerate, and fine-grained rock in extensive flows 

(basalt). Unconfined to partially confined in upper 200 ft; confined at greater depths.

Lockatong Formation: 50 - 500 

Gray and black siltstone and shale; argillite.

Stockton Formation: 15-500 

Arkosic sandstone, siltstone, shale, conglomerate.

Highlands Province and Valley and Ridge Province

Aquifers of the Kittatinny Supergroup: 20 - 700 

Dolomite, limestone. Unconfined and semiconfined.

Franklin Limestone: 35 - 500 

Coarse white marble, crystalline limestone, magnesian in part.

Precambrian crystal line-rock aquifers: 35 - 400 

Complex igneous and metamorphic rocks; gneiss.

10 - 500 The most heavily pumped of the cons

Passaic Formation previously known a

the basalt, suitable for domestic-supply 

2 - 250 Generally, wells have low yields and a

15 - 900 Highest yields of rock aquifers in Mer

5 - 2,000 Ground water is present along bedding 

granular space, and other openings. Yi

15 - 800 Present in Sussex and Warren Countie

10 - 150 Most water obtained from upper 300 f

in or near major fault zones.
Salisbury (1898) and Lewis and Kummel (1940) provide detailed information on the 

topography and geology of New Jersey. Zapecza (1989) presents a detailed description of the 

aquifer systems in the Coastal Plain. Drake (1969) and Lyttle and Epstein (1987) describe the 

geology of the non-Coastal Plain physiographic provinces. Characteristics of aquifers and wells in 

New Jersey are summarized in table 1.

Hydrologic Cataloging Units

Seaber and others (1987) designated 13 hydrologic cataloging units (HUC's) that lie either 

partly or entirely within the borders of New Jersey (fig. 3; table 2). The HUC is a geographic area 

that represents a surface drainage basin, such as the Raritan River Basin, or a distinct hydrologic 

feature, such as the Delaware Bay. The 8-digit HUC code and name associated with each unit are 

part of the national system for locating, storing, retrieving, and exchanging hydrologic data. 

Streams that flow within the major HUC's are listed in table 2. Withdrawals in three HUC's 

02030101, Lower Hudson; 02040104, Middle Delaware-Mongaup-Brodhead; and 02040202, 

Delaware Bay-were less than 0.005 Mgal/d, the reporting level; consequently, these HUC's are 

not included in tables presenting HUC data.

The Delaware River has the largest drainage area of the streams in New Jersey and 

delineates the 254-mi western border of the State (Schopp and Bauersfeld, 1986). The Raritan, 

Passaic, and Hackensack Rivers are other major rivers in New Jersey. Most of the water-supply 

reservoirs are located in the northern and central regions of the State (fig. 4). The HackensackPassaic HUC contains many public-supply reservoirs that serve the urban areas of northeastern 

New Jersey (Schopp and Bauersfeld, 1986) (figs. 3 and 4). Two water-supply reservoirs lie within 

the Raritan HUC, and five reservoirs lie within the HUC's in the Coastal Plain.

Climate

The climate of New Jersey differs from north to south because of the differences in 

topography and the presence or absence of water bodies. For this reason, the National Climatic 

Data Center (1992, 1993) reports New Jersey climatological data by three major divisionsNorthern, Southern, and Coastal. The Northern division includes most of the area north of the Fall 

Line (fig. 2). The Coastal Plain is divided into the Coastal and Southern divisions. Average annual 

precipitation in New Jersey during 1951-80 was 45 in. (National Climatic Center, 1992; 1993) 

and ranged from 40 in. in the southeast to 52 in. in the northwest (Bauersfeld and others, 1991). 

Precipitation is almost uniform throughout the year.

Annual precipitation in New Jersey during 1991-92 was less than the average annual 

precipitation (1951-80)-3 in. less in 1991 and 4 in. less in 1992. Annual precipitation in 1991 and 

1992 was 42 in. and 41 in., respectively (fig. 5a). Total annual precipitation in 1991 was about the 

same in each climatological division. In 1992, annual precipitation was 5 in. greater in the 

Northern climatological division (44 in.) than in the Coastal climatological division (39 in.).

The average annual temperature in New Jersey during 1951-80 was 53 °F, and annual 

temperatures averaged 3 °F greater in the south than in the north. The average annual temperature 

was 55 °F in 1991 and 52 °F in 1992 (fig. 5b) (National Climatic Data Center, 1992; 1993).
Middle DelawareMongaup-Brodhead

02040104 , x n __,__

Lower Hudson

02030101 "V" 

Hackensack- ,

.V " Rasjsalc 

Middle Delaware^ / 02030103

NEW YORK

/Ronout 

02020007

Sandy HookStaten Island 

02030104

PENNSYLVANIA

rosswicksNesnamJ

ullica/Toms / f 0

' i v* /^

Q ^ Delaware Bay

, 02040204 39° -

Figure 3. Hydrologic cataloging units and codes in New Jersey. 

(Modified from Seaber and others, 1987)
Table 2. Selected streams in New Jersey by hydrologic cataloging unit

[Modified from Seaber and others, 1987; mi2 , square miles; RWRPA, Regional Water Resources Planning 

Areas]

Hydrologic cataloging unit 

Hydrologic unit code

(Drainage area)

New Jersey Water Resources 

Planning Areas, RWRPA Selected streams

Rondout 1 

02020007

(1,190 mi2)

Lower Hudson1 

02030101

(720 mi2 )

Hackensack-Passaic 1 

02030103

(1,120 mi 2 )

Sandy Hook-Staten Island1 

02030104

(679 mi2 )

RWRPA 3 WalMll River/ 

Pequest River/ Paulins Kill (part)

RWRPA 6 Hackensack River (part)

RWRPA 4, Upper Passaic River and 

tributaries

RWRPA 6 Hackensack River (part)

R WRPA 5 Lower Passaic River/ 

Rahway River (part)

RWRPA 5 Lower Passaic River/ 

Rahway River (part)

RWRPA 12 Navesink River/ 

Swimming River

Papakating Creek Wallkill River 

Pochuck Creek

Green Brook

Hackensack River 

Passaic River 

Pascack Brook 

Pequannock River 

Pompton River

Rahway River 

Elizabeth River 

Matawan Creek 

Morses Creek 

Navesink River

Hudson River

Rockaway River 

Ramapo River 

Saddle River 

Wanaque River 

Whippany River

Shark River 

Shrewsbury River 

Swimming River 

Woodbridge Creek 

Whale Pond Brook 

Wreck Pond Brook

Raritan 

02030105

(1,080 mi 2 )

Middle DelawareMongaup- Brodhead' -2

02040104

(1,520 mi 2 )

Middle DelawareMusconetcong2

02040105

(1,330 mi 2 )

RWRPA 10 Raritan River 

RWRPA II South River

RWRPA I Middle Delaware River 

(part)

RWRPA 2 Flat Brook

RWRPA I Middle Delaware River 

(part)

RWRPA 3 Wallkill River/ 

Pequest River/ Paulins Kill (part)

RWRPA 7 Pohatcong Creek 

RWRPA 8 Musconetcong River

RWRPA 9 Trenton Delaware 

tributaries

Raritan River 

Bound Brook 

Lamington River 

Lawrence Brook

Delaware River 

Flat Brook

Middle Brook 

Millstone River 

Stony Brook 

South River

Stumers Brook

Delaware River Lopatcong Creek 

Musconetcong River Paulins Kill 

Assunpink Creek Pohatcong Creek 

Delawanna Creek Pequest River 

Lockatong Creek

RWRPA 14 Rancocas Creek (part)
Table 2. Selected streams in New Jersey by hydrologic cataloging unit Continued

Hydrologic cataloging unit 

Hydrologic unit code

(Drainage area)

New Jersey Water Resources 

Planning Areas, RWRPA Stream

Crosswicks-Neshaminy

02040201

(521 mi2 )

Lower Delaware2

02040202

(1,050 mi2 )

RWRPA 14 Rancocas Creek (part)

RWRPA 14 Rancocas Creek (part)

RWRPA 17 Camden Delaware 

tributaries (part)

Crosswicks Creek Blacks Creek 

Assiscunk Creek Crafts Creek 

Delaware River

Delaware River 

Big Timber Creek 

Baldwin Run 

Birch Creek 

Cooper River 

Mantua Creek 

Mill Creek

Delaware Bay 

02040204

(744 mi2 )

CohanseyMaurice 

02040206

(1,060 mi2 )

Mullica-Toms 

02040301

(1,350 mi 2 )

Great Egg Harbor 

02040302

(717 mi2 )

No designation

RWRPA 1 7 Camden Delaware 

tributaries (part)

RWRPA 20 Salem River 

RWRPA 21 Maurice River

RWRPA 23 Cape May Coastal (part)

RWRPA 13 Manasquan River 

RWRPA 15 Metedeconk River 

RWRPA 16 Toms River 

RWRPA 18 Mullica River (part)

RWRPA 19 Atlantic Coastal

RWRPA 18 Mullica River (part)

RWRPA 22 

Great Egg Harbor River

RWRPA 23 Cape May Coastal (part)

Surface area of the Delaware Bay

Cohansey River 

Maurice River 

Alloway Creek 

Dennis Creek 

Dividing Creek 

Mamumuskin River

Mullica River 

Toms River 

Batsto River 

Cedar Creek 

Kettle Creek 

Manasquan River

Great Egg Harbor 

River 

Absecon Creek 

Doughty Creek

Menantico Creek 

Oldmans Creek 

Salem River 

Stow Creek 

Whooping John Creek

Metedeconk River 

Nescochague Creek 

Oswego River 

Oyster Creek 

Sleeper Branch 

Wading River 

Wastecunk Creek

Jones Creek 

Patcong Creek 

Tuckahoe River

' Includes drainage area in New York. 

Includes drainage area in Pennsylvania.

10
39°

75° 74°

\ NEW YORK

SUSSEX Clinton / 

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PENNSYLVANIA I t , , ^ BAY ,, ^ft V " ">/ N-r\ S' 

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Delaware and v y fR ^// MONMOUTH / 

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Water-supply reservoir ^^"x x

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Split Rock*

WARREN >~v-'"

Boonton

/ESSEX

EXPLANATION

NEW JERSEY

\

'. GLOUCESTER \CAMDEN 

\ /

SALEM "x / x 

/ ATLANTIC

Atlantic City_ &

Philadelphia

20 MILES

r

0 10 20 KILOMETERS

Figure 4. Water-supply reservoirs and the Delaware and 

Raritan Canal in New Jersey.

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. . . . i i i i . i . . . i i . . i i i . . i i
Collection of Withdrawal Data

By the 1890's, the rapid urban and industrial growth in New Jersey had caused local 

degradation of water quality and insufficient water supplies (Capen, 1937; New Jersey 

Commission on Efficiency and Economy in State Government, 1967). The State government 

responded to these problems by initiating water regulations and water-resources-management 

programs. The current water-allocation program is a comprehensive system for monitoring 

withdrawals of water.

Data Sources and Compilation

The 1981 Water Supply Management Act authorizes the NJDEP to monitor withdrawals of 

ground water and surface water in New Jersey (Saarela, 1992, p. 6). Water users must obtain 

permission in the form of a permit, registration, or certification (Principi, 1991). Water-allocation 

permits are issued to users who withdraw 100,000 gal/d or more. During a 24-hour period, the 

amount of water withdrawn by pumping equipment producing 70 gal/min is about 100,000 gal. 

Permit holders must submit quarterly reports of monthly withdrawal data and must recalibrate inline flowmeters during their permitting period of 4 to 7 years. In 1995, there were about 3,900 

water-allocation permits including 2,100 public-supply (5,000-series permits), 1,700 industrial 

and commercial (2,OOOP-series permits), and 70 surface-water-only permits (4,OOOPS-series 

permits).

Well registrants, water users whose pumping equipment is capable of producing 70 gal/min 

but who withdraw less than 100,000 gal/d, must submit annual reports of monthly withdrawals. 

About 1,440 water users are classified as well registrants (10,OOOW-series).

Agricultural/horticultural certification and registrations are issued through the County 

Agricultural Agent, who collects information on crop type and amount of irrigated acreage and 

determines the maximum monthly withdrawals for each applicant. Agricultural/horticultural 

water users who withdraw 100,000 gal/d or more must apply for agricultural/horticultural 

certifications. Agricultural/horticultural registrants use pumping equipment capable of producing 

70 gal/min, but withdraw less than 100,000 gal/d. Withdrawals for agricultural/horticultural 

purposes rarely are metered; water users submit monthly withdrawal data that are estimated by 

multiplying the number of hours of use by the pump capacity. Monthly withdrawals are reported 

annually to the NJDEP. Non-agricultural irrigation users, such as golf courses, must obtain a 

water-allocation permit or well registration. These users must meter their withdrawals and report 

monthly withdrawal data according to their permit or registration requirements. There are about 

2,800 agricultural/horticultural certifications and registrations.

For most sites, NJDEP staff entered site-specific monthly withdrawal data into a 

computerized data base. The NJDEP reviewed annual withdrawal data and compared the data for 

the current year with the annual withdrawal data for the preceding 5 years for water users 

renewing their permit, registration, or certification. Water-withdrawal data were provided as 

computer files by the NJDEP to the USGS as part of the Cooperative Water-Use Program.

13
The USGS reconfigured and tested the withdrawal and site data before they were entered 

into the SSWUDS data base. USGS software was used to compare site characteristics and annual 

withdrawal values in the NJDEP data base with those in the SSWUDS data base by using the 

NJDEP water-allocation identifier (permit, registration, or certification number) of the water user, 

the NJDEP well-permit number of the ground-water site, and the NJDEP identifier of the surfacewater site.

The annual withdrawal value reported by the NJDEP was compared with the annual value 

that was entered for the preceding year in the SSWUDS data base for the site; values that differed 

by less than 1 percent were considered to match. Data-collection forms and diagnostic messages 

were generated for unmatched site and withdrawal data. Unmatched data included (1) a miscoded 

NJDEP water-allocation identifier, well-permit number, or suiface-water identifier; (2) a change 

in withdrawals greater than 1 percent; or (3) a new withdrawal site or disaggregation of 

previously combined withdrawal data.

After site and withdrawal data in the NJDEP and SSWUDS data bases were compared, a 

second USGS software program was used to reformat the withdrawal data into standard 

SSWUDS input configuration. Unmatched site and withdrawal data generated on data-collection 

forms were compared with the NJDEP data files; corrected information was entered into the 

SSWUDS data base.

Methods Used to Estimate Water Withdrawals

In this report, a per capita use coefficient for domestic self-supplied withdrawals was 

developed by analyzing data on domestic deliveries (water sales) by public suppliers (fig. 6). The 

per capita use by publicly supplied and self-supplied domestic users was assumed to be similar. 

Domestic deliveries were estimated from coefficients that were developed by the author (Nawyn, 

1997a) from data reported in the Water Industry Data Base of the American Water Works 

Association (1992) and from data obtained from large public-supply systems in New Jersey, such 

as the New Jersey-American Water Company 1 (James Scott, New Jersey-American Water 

Company, written commun., 1993) and the Elizabethtown Water Company (Edward Cash, 

Elizabethtown Water Company, written commun., 1994). Data on the population served were 

estimated from reports of public suppliers and data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census (1992, 

1994b). To estimate the per capita use by publicly supplied domestic users, the value estimated 

for domestic deliveries was divided by the population served. The per capita coefficient of 

82 gal/d that resulted from this calculation was used to estimate the withdrawals by self-supplied 

domestic users.

Reliability of Data

Non-agricultural withdrawal data collected by the NJDEP are highly reliable because the 

withdrawals were metered and many of the in-line flowmeters were periodically recalibrated. In

1 The use of firm names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not impute responsibility 

for any present or potential effects on water resources in the study area.

14
Use of water:

D Domestic

H Commercial

 Industrial

g Public water

H Distribution-system maintenance

EB Thermoelectric power

 Distribution losses

Figure 6. Estimated average annual water deliveries, distribution-system maintenance, 

and distribution losses by public suppliers in New Jersey, 1991-92. (Values in million 

gallons per day)

15
addition, the NJDEP and USGS staff reviewed annual withdrawal data for consistency. 

Summaries of aggregated data (aquifer, county, HUC, and category of use) were checked by 

USGS staff for consistency with previously reported information; inconsistencies were 

investigated by contacting the NJDEP or the water user.

Agricultural withdrawal data include non-metered values estimated by the water user and 

reported to NJDEP. The reliability of the withdrawal data varies depending on the accuracy of the 

determination of the pump capacity and the number of hours of pumping. Pump capacity can 

decrease when pumping equipment ages or when water levels are lowered because of regional 

water-level changes (Eckel and Walker, 1983). Pumping time can be determined from timetotalizing meters attached to discharge pipes, running-time meters on gas- or diesel-powered 

generators or tractors, and electric-utility records.

In 1991, the USGS conducted a field study to verify withdrawals for irrigation use reported 

by 10 agricultural/horticultural users. Eighteen digital vibration-time totalizers that measure the 

time of pump operation were attached to irrigation pipes. Withdrawal data calculated from 

vibration-time totalizer readings and estimated data reported by the water user to NJDEP were 

found to have a positive correlation (r = 0.905). At one site, the volume determined from 

vibration-time totalizers readings was compared with the volume determined from in-line 

flowmeter readings, and the volumes were consistent (Clawges and Titus, 1993).

Withdrawal data on self-supplied domestic users have the largest margin of error of the data 

included in this report. Both population and water-use coefficients were estimated. Population 

data were compared with the most recent U.S. Bureau of the Census (1991a, 1991b) data to 

identify any large errors. The water-use coefficient used in this report represents the most recent 

estimate of per capita use.

Presentation of Data

Most of the data included in this report are metered withdrawals and are reported by the type 

of water (ground water or surface water), category of use, county, and HUC. Withdrawals of 

ground water also are reported by aquifer and physiographic province. Data on unmetered 

withdrawals by self-supplied domestic users are presented by county and type of water.

Numerical water-use data are the average quantities used and are reported in million gallons 

per day (Mgal/d). Irrigation water is applied seasonally and at variable rates; therefore, the actual 

rate of application is at times much greater than the average daily rate presented in this report. 

Population data are shown to the nearest thousand. Withdrawal data presented as total values for 

the State and by county, aquifer, and HUC are rounded to the nearest whole number.

Withdrawal data compiled by county (tables 3-5) include all categories of use; however, the 

average withdrawals for 1991-92, listed in table 5, may not equal the average of the values listed 

in tables 3 (1991 withdrawals) and 4 (1992 withdrawals) as a result of independent rounding. In 

addition, withdrawal data on self-supplied domestic users and other users for which HUC and 

aquifer designations were not available are reported in the tables as "Unclassified withdrawals" or 

"Unclassified aquifers."

16
Previous Investigations

Vermeule (1894) discussed withdrawals for public supply in the first comprehensive report 

on withdrawals of ground water and surface water in the State. Hazen and others (1922) and the 

New Jersey Water Policy Commission (1926) describe sources, consumption, and development of 

potable water supplies in New Jersey. Tippetts-Abbett-McCartney-Stratton (1955) compiled 

public-supply withdrawal data for the New Jersey Legislative Commission on Water Supply. 

Major withdrawals of surface water for public supply in New Jersey are presented in the annual 

surface-water data reports (since 1961) prepared by the USGS (Bauersfeld and others, 1992, 

1993, 1994). Agricultural water demands in New Jersey were estimated by Titus and others 

(1992) for field-grown crops and by Clawges and Titus (1993) for crops, livestock, and selected 

sectors of the food-processing industry.

Previous studies of withdrawals in New Jersey investigated the ground-water resources of 

the Coastal Plain. Withdrawal data for the Coastal Plain are summarized in reports by Vowinkel 

(1984) and Vowinkel and Foster (1981). Horn and Bratton (1991) compiled historical (1901-85) 

withdrawal data for Middlesex and Monmouth Counties. Earlier studies of the Coastal Plain 

presented withdrawal data for individual counties, aquifers, or local areas. Water-resources 

investigations that report ground-water withdrawal data for counties in the Coastal Plain include 

Clark and others (1968), Atlantic County; Rush (1968), Burlington County; Farlekas and others 

(1976), Navoy and Carleton (1995), and Nawyn (1997a), Camden County; Gill (1962), Cape May 

County; Rooney (1971), Cumberland County; Hardt and Hilton (1969), Gloucester County; 

Vecchioli and Palmer (1962), Mercer County; Barksdale and others (1943), Middlesex County; 

Jablonski (1968), Monmouth County; Anderson and Appel (1969), Ocean County; and Rosenau 

and others (1969), Salem County.

Results of ground-water-flow simulation are described, and ground-water-withdrawal data 

are presented, for aquifers in the Coastal Plain in reports on the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy 

aquifer system (Luzier, 1980), the Farrington aquifer (Farlekas, 1979), the Englishtown aquifer 

system (Nichols, 1977), and the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer (Nemickas, 1976). Zapecza and 

others (1987) reported ground-water-withdrawal data for the major aquifers in the Coastal Plain.

Withdrawal data were compiled by Sargent and others (1985) for ground water, by Schopp 

and Bauersfeld (1986) for surface water, and by Quails and Horn (1990) for ground water and 

surface water. Horn and Bratton (1991) compiled withdrawal data (1901-85) on Middlesex and 

Monmouth Counties. The NJDEP compiled data on withdrawals of ground water and surface 

water in New Jersey during 1987 (Merend, 1989), 1988 (Saarela, 1992), and 1995 (Hoffman and 

Mennel, 1997). Zripko and Hasan (1994) studied depletive water use (water and wastewater 

transfers among water basins) in New Jersey and compiled data on the average annual water 

withdrawals and wastewater discharges during 1986-88. Withdrawal data on ground water and 

surface water in New Jersey during 1989-90, 1993, and 1994 are found in Nawyn and Clawges 

(1995), Nawyn (1997b), and Nawyn (1997c), respectively.

The USGS published national water-use reports at 5-year intervals from 1950 through 1992 

that included water withdrawals in New Jersey (MacKichan, 1951, 1957; MacKichan and 

Kammerer, 1961; Murray, 1968; Murray and Reeves, 1972, 1977; Solley and others, 1983, 1988,

17
1993; Solley and Pierce, 1992). In addition, data on the source, use, and disposition of water 

throughout the United States were compiled by Carr and others (1992) as part of the USGS's 

series of annual reports on national water resources.

Acknowledgments

The author gratefully acknowledges Helve Saarela, Nicole Griscorn, and Richard Kropp of 

the NJDEP for their professional guidance in preparing this report. The author also thanks the 

NJDEP staff for collecting and entering monthly withdrawal data into computer files.

WITHDRAWALS OF GROUND WATER AND SURFACE WATER

For this report, withdrawals of ground water and surface water are grouped into seven 

categories-public supply, domestic, commercial, irrigation, industrial, mining, and 

thermoelectric power. Withdrawal data in this report represent withdrawals of freshwater. Most 

withdrawal data were compiled from monthly withdrawal data that were reported by water users 

as part of the water-allocation program in New Jersey.

In 1991, withdrawals in New Jersey totaled about 2,110 Mgal/d~576 Mgal/d of ground 

water and 1,534 Mgal/d of surface water (table 3). In 1992, withdrawals totaled about 

2,090 Mgal/d~571 Mgal/d of ground water and 1,519 Mgal/d of surface water (table 4). Groundwater withdrawals accounted for about one-quarter of all withdrawals in the State; surface-water 

withdrawals accounted for about three-quarters. Hereafter, "average" represents the arithmetic 

mean of withdrawals reported in 1991 and 1992.

Public Supply

Withdrawals for public supply accounted for about one-half of all withdrawals in the State. 

In 1991, withdrawals for public supply were about 1,100 Mgal/d 401 Mgal/d of ground water 

and 699 Mgal/d of surface water (table 3). In 1992, withdrawals for public supply totaled about 

1,095 Mgal/d~400 Mgal/d of ground water and 695 Mgal/d of surface water (table 4). Ground 

water accounted for about 36 percent of average (1991-92) withdrawals for public supply, and 

surface water provided about 64 percent (table 5).

Average withdrawals of ground water for public supply during 1991-92 (401 Mgal/d) were 

6 Mgal/d greater than 1989-90 withdrawals (395 Mgal/d); average surface-water withdrawals for 

public supply in 1991-92 (698 Mgal/d) were 68 Mgal/d greater than withdrawals in 1989-90 

(630 Mgal/d) (table 5; Nawyn and Clawges, 1995). The increase in surface-water withdrawals is 

related to a new source of water, the Manasquan Reservoir (fig. 4), in Critical Water-Supply 

Management Area (CWSMA) No. 1, which is composed of eastern Middlesex County and the 

northeastern parts of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Ovcrpumping of ground water by water 

users in CWSMA No. 1 has resulted in saltwater intrusion. To protect existing freshwater, 

ground-water users were mandated to explore alternative sources of supply (Quails and Horn, 

1990).

18
Table 3. Withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey by county and category of use, 1991

[Values may not add to totals because of independent Founding. Withdrawal data are metered values, except as noted. Values are round

All values in million gallons per day; **, withdrawals less than 1 million gallons per day; -, withdrawals less than reporting level of 0

Public supply

County

Atlantic

Bergen

Burlington

Camden

Cape May

Cumberland

Essex

Gloucester

Hudson

Hunterdon

Mercer

Middlesex

Morunouth

Morris

Ocean

Passaic

Salem

Somerset

Sussex

Union

Warren 

State

Ground 

water

28

20

33

67

17

14

22

21

-

3

10

30

21

41

39

7

4

4

2

12

6

401

Surface 

water

90

3

--

--

__

10

--

387

34

2

34

51

3

281

1

397

1

5

--

699

Domestic 1

Ground Surface 

water water

6

2

7

2

4

4

**

4

6

2

2

4

7

9

3

2

5

7

**

3

'79

Commercial

Ground Surface 

water water

2

1

1

**

**

**

1

**

**

--

 

**  **

**

**

 

-

**  **

**

1

8

14 1

Irrigation2

Ground 

water

9

**

3

2

1

8

**

1

**

**

1

**

**

**

**

2

**

--

**

**

227

Surface 

water

5

**

90

**

**

3

**

9

-

**

**

1

**

1

**

2

**

--

**

1

2 112

Industrial

Ground 

water

**

6

5

**

**

6

1

8

**

2

1

7

1

3

**

**

3

1

--

2

5

51

Surface 

water

13

**

4

--

__

-

55

35

4

**

--

1

1

**

14

-

--

13

57

197

Mining 

Ground Surfac

water water 

4 

** 1 

3 

** 11 

1 

** 2 

1 

5 

** - 

** .. 

** 

2 28 

' Estimated water-use value.

2 Includes withdrawal values estimated by water user.

3 Includes water transfer from Delaware River in Hunterdon County to Raritan River in Somerset County.
Table 4. Withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey by county and category of use, 1992

[Values may not add to totals because of independent founding. Withdrawal data are metered values, except as noted. Values are round

All values in million gallons per day; **, withdrawals less than 1 million gallons per day; --, withdrawals less than reporting level of 0

County

Atlantic

Bergen

Burlington

Camden

Cape May

Cumberland

Essex

Gloucester

Hudson

Hunterdon

Mercer

Middlesex

Monmouth

Morris

Ocean

Passaic

Salem

Somerset

Sussex

Union

Warren

State

Public supply

Ground

water

27

22

32

64

16

15

21

22

4

10

32

15

38

39

6

4

5

2

20

6

400

Surface

water

102

1

--

--

8

-

3 85

30

1

30

49

2

286

2

393

1

5

-

695

Domestic 1

Ground Surface

water water

6

2

7

3

4

4

**

4

6

2

2

4

7

9

3

2

5

7

**

3

! 80

Commercial

Ground Surface

water water

2

1

**

1

**

**

1

**

**

--

 

**  **

1

1

 

..

-

**  **

**

1

8

17 1

Irrigation2

Ground

water

4

**

1

2

1

6

**

1

-.

**

**

1

**

**

**

**

1

**

**

**

2 16

Surface

water

2

**

78

**

**

2

**

2

-

**

**

1

**

1

**

2

**

-

**

**

288

Industrial

Ground

water

**

7

5

**

**

5

1

8

**

3

1

7

1

3

**

**

3

1

-

3

3

51

Surface

water

14

**

2

--

_

-

52

25

13

**

-

1

**

1

12

-

8

59

187

Mining

Ground Surfac

water water

..

4

** 1

4 6

** 11

..

1

--

..

 

..

1

6

_

** 

**

**

5 30

1 Estimated water-use value.

2 Includes withdrawal values estimated by water user. 

Includes water transfer from Delaware River in Hunterdon County to Raritan River in Somerset County.
Table 5. Average withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey by county and category of use, 1991-9

[Values may not add to totals because of independent rounding. Values in this table may not equal the average of values in tables 3 and 4 a

Withdrawal data are metered values, except as noted. Values are rounded to nearest whole number, and values greater than 1,000 are roun

All values in million gallons per day; **, withdrawals less than 1 million gallons per day; --, withdrawals less than reporting level of 0.00

County

Atlantic

Bergen

Burlington

Camden

Cape May

Cumberland

Essex

Gloucester

Hudson

Hunterdon

Mercer

Middlesex

Monmouth

Morris

Ocean

Passaic

Salem

Somerset

Sussex

Union

Warren

State

Public supply

Ground

water

28

21

32

66

16

14

22

22

-

4

10

31

18

40

39

6

4

4

2

16

6

401

Surface

water

96

2

--

--

9

-

3 86

32

2

32

50

2

284

2

395

1

5

--

698

Domestic

Ground Surface

water water

6

2

7

2

4

4

**

4

..

6

2

2

4

7

9

3

2

5

7

**

3

'79

Commercial

Ground Surface

water water

2

1

1

1

**

**

1

 

** 

-

** **

HI* **

1

1

 

**  **

**

1

8

17 1

Irrigation2

Ground

water

6

**

2

2

1

7

**

1

**

**

1

**

**

**

**

2

**

-

**

**

222

Surface

water

4

**

84

**

**

2

**

6

--

**

**

1

**

1

**

2

**

-

**

1

2 101

Industrial

Ground

water

6

5

**

**

6

1

8

**

2

1

7

1

3

--

**

3

1

-

2

4

50

Surface

water

14

**

3

--

--

54

30

8

**

-

1

1

1

13

-

10

58

193

Mining 

Ground Surfac

water wate

4 

** 1 

24 

** 11 

1 

** i 

1 

6 

** - 

** 

** 

4 29 

1 Estimated water-use value.

2 Includes withdrawal values estimated by water user.

3 Includes water transfer from Delaware River in Hunterdon County to Raritan River in Somerset County.
A public-supply system serves at least 25 people or has a minimum of 15 service 

connections (Solley and others, 1988, p. 10). New Jersey has 638 public-supply systems, 

including 314 municipal systems, 102 investor-owned systems, 193 small community publicsupply systems (homeowner associations, mobile home parks, real estate developers, and 

apartment owners), and 29 self-supplied institutions including military, hospitals, and correctional 

facilities (unpublished data on file at New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 

Trenton, N.J.).

Most residents of New Jersey are served by public suppliers, although the distribution of 

publicly supplied residents is not uniform throughout the State. It was estimated in this study that 

about 6.8 million people, or 88 percent of the residents of the State, are served by public-supply 

systems (fig. 7a; table 6). Urban counties in northeastern and central New Jersey, such as Bergen, 

Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, and Union (fig. 1), are almost totally (96 percent or greater) served by 

public-supply systems (table 6). In contrast, less than 40 percent of the population of rural 

Hunterdon and Sussex Counties in the northwestern part of New Jersey is served by public-supply 

systems.

Deliveries by Public Suppliers

A previously developed method to estimate coefficients of water deliveries (Nawyn, 1997a) 

was applied to data on public-supply withdrawals in each county during 1991-92. Coefficients of 

water deliveries for each county were estimated for this study. Although water withdrawn by 

public suppliers is used for many purposes in homes, offices, industrial facilities, schools, and 

parks, water deliveries are chiefly to local residences for domestic use. About 51 percent of the 

total withdrawals for public supply is estimated to be delivered to domestic users (fig. 6). 

Commercial deliveries represent about 19 percent of total public-supply withdrawals. Industrial 

users are estimated to receive about 9 percent of publicly supplied water, and thermoelectricpower customers use about 2 percent. The balance of the water (about 19 percent) is estimated to 

be used for distribution-system maintenance (1 percent), distribution-system losses (13 percent), 

and public water use (5 percent) (fig. 6). Distribution-system maintenance is the backwashing of 

filters and well screens. Distribution losses include water lost through damaged water pipes, 

improperly registering water meters, and unauthorized water connections. Public water use 

includes water, metered or unmetered, used for schools, municipal buildings, recreational 

facilities, and firefighting.

Per Capita Use

Per capita use by publicly supplied residents was estimated from data on domestic deliveries 

by public suppliers. In 1991-92, total public-supply withdrawals averaged 1,099 Mgal/d (table 5), 

and domestic deliveries were estimated to average 560 Mgal/d, or about 51 percent of total 

public-supply withdrawals (fig. 6). The average per capita domestic use was estimated to be 

82 gal/d. Average monthly domestic deliveries in 1991-92 were lowest in February and were 

estimated to be 526 Mgal/d (per capita use, 77 gal/d); average monthly domestic deliveries were 

greatest in July and were estimated to be 609 Mgal/d (per capita use, 89 gal/d). In 1991-92, 

therefore, water use averaged about 12 gal/d per person greater in July than in February.

22
POPULATION

- E. CO 

CO Q) 

C N.

WITHDRAWALS, IN MILLION GALLONS PER DAY

g 8 8 8 8

O »> CD

-8

c

Q) CD' Q) D Q. D Q. Q. 0-

- : O Q> 00 

<

CD c75 =; CD CD 

3

£ w 

c

1

2L c_ 

3

W CD

n

-D V) C (D CT ^;

o <2

 < -o

W "O_ f i'

D

-I 3 

%CD3

(Q (D

A1 Q.1 VL v>

$

unty

CO COCON)

cr
Table 6. Estimated population of New Jersey by county and type of water supply, 1992

[Figures may not add to totals because of independent rounding. Population data from U.S. Bureau of the 

Census (1992,1994c) and data on file at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, 

New Jersey; all withdrawal values in million gallons per day; , no value reported; <, less thanl

County

Atlantic

Bergen

Burlington

Camden

Cape May

Cumberland

Essex

Gloucester

Hudson

Hunterdon

Mercer

Middlesex

Monmouth

Morris

Ocean

Passaic

Salem

Somerset

Sussex

Union

Warren 

State

Total 

population

229,000

835,000

397,000

508,000

97,000

138,000

773,000

237,000

555,000

112,000

328,000

684,000

566,000

428,000

438,000

456,000

65,000

250,000

135,000

493,000

94,000

27,820,000

Domestic supply

Population 

served

71,000

23,000

80,000

31,000

48,000

50,000

4,000

54,000

-

72,000

29,000

22,000

50,000

85,000

107,000

33,000

26,000

56,000

85,000

1,000

42,000

^69,000

Percent of 

county

population

31

3

20

6

49

36

1

23

--

64

9

3

9

20

24

7

40

22

63

<1

45

12

Public supply

Population 

served

158,000

812,000

317,000

477,000

49,000

88,000

769,000

183,000

555,000

40,000

299,000

662,000

516,000

343,000

331,000

423,000

39,000

194,000

50,000

492,000

52,000

'6,849,000

Percent of 

county

population

69

97

80

94

51

64

99

77

100

36

91

97

91

80

76

93

60

78

37

100

55

88

1 Estimated data.

2 Value reported by U.S. Bureau of the Census. The sum of the county values may not equal the total value reported for 

the State as a result of rounding to the nearest thousand.

24
Transfer of Surface-Water Withdrawals

Early in this century, potable water was not available in sufficient quantity near the large 

population centers in northern New Jersey; consequently, water-supply reservoirs and waterdistribution systems were constructed to deliver surface water from rural areas to urban areas 

(Capen, 1937). Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, and Somerset Counties export water to Essex, 

Hudson, and Union Counties. Bergen County imports and exports public water supplies (fig. 8). 

Withdrawals for public supply in Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, and Somerset Counties are higher 

than would be expected if withdrawals were evaluated on the basis of population; withdrawals in 

Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties are lower than would be expected because of transfers of 

water (table 6).

Withdrawals of surface water for public supply in one county can be widely distributed 

among several counties through interconnected water systems. The North Jersey District Water 

Supply Commission administers the Wanaque Reservoir system (in Passaic County) (fig. 8), one 

of the largest water-supply reservoirs in the State. Water from the Wanaque system is distributed 

to communities throughout northeastern New Jersey. In Bergen County, the Hackensack Water 

Company withdraws water for delivery to other counties and receives water from the Wanaque 

Reservoir system in Passaic County. Water from water-supply reservoirs in Morris County is 

distributed to water utilities in Essex (for the City of Newark) and Hudson (for Jersey City) 

Counties (Tedeschi, 1993) (fig. 8).

In central New Jersey, as much as 100 Mgal/d may be diverted from the Delaware River in 

Hunterdon County through the Delaware and Raritan (D&R) Canal (Saarela, 1992, p. 9) (fig. 8). 

The New Jersey Water Supply Authority (NJWSA) administers withdrawals from the D&R 

Canal, the Spruce Run-Round Valley reservoir system in Hunterdon County, and the Raritan 

River in Somerset County. The Elizabethtown Water Company withdraws water from the D&R 

Canal and the Raritan River in Somerset County for delivery to other counties (Edward Mullen, 

Elizabethtown Water Company, oral commun., 1992). During 1991-92, about 85 Mgal/d of 

surface water was transferred from Hunterdon County to Somerset County through the D&R 

Canal.

The other large surface-water transfer in New Jersey is in Monmouth County, where the 

NJWSA administers the Manasquan Reservoir, a public-supply reservoir serving the multi-county 

area of CWSMA No. 1. In addition, New Jersey-American Water Company is constructing a 

pipeline to divert water from the Delaware River at Delanco, N.J., to supply communities in 

CWSMA No. 2, which is composed of Camden County and most of Burlington and Gloucester 

Counties.

Withdrawals by County

More than one-quarter of all publicly supplied water in New Jersey is withdrawn in Passaic 

County (290 Mgal/d). Withdrawals for public supply averaged 117 Mgal/d in Bergen County, 

99 Mgal/d in Somerset County, and 90 Mgal/d each in Morris and Hunterdon Counties (fig. 9; 

table 5).

25
75° 74°

41 <

40°

39°

PENNSYLVANIA

Newark 

Reservoir 

system \ '

SUSSEX Jfl

\ Jersey City 

Reservoir. {

WARREN > s Vstem

MORRIS

NEW YORK

Wanaque 

x Reservoir system

Hackensack

Reservoir

system

T^/l/ '

Spruce Run-Round Valley 

Reservoir system

 Newark

HUNTER

Withdrawals from Delaware River/ 

to Delaware and Raritan Canal ' 

\

EXPLANATION

' -....^SOMERSET^V _. /;__/" *K *££ 

N ," ... -'V .. '""/ / -i-w^i.^

 

Site of surface-water 

withdrawal

 * Path of surface-water 

transfer

Withdrawals from 

Raritan River and

^Delaware and 

. waritan Canal

Y! MIDDLESEX , ,-f

MONMOUTH

jrenton

Y

NEW JEr1$EY

BURLINGTON

OCEAN /f

/ d

/> '' GLOUCESTER ^ CAM DEN v > 'X '^_

-^ 

 X SALEM 

^-, 

\ 

V

/

ATLANTIC

\ x .^ CUMBERLAND

'u \ \ \ r /

UJ \ N ""i*^' .

cc \ - x7

5 i

UJ i

 <' CAPE 

...A MAY f

10

I

20 MILES

_J

10 20 KILOMETERS

Figure 8. Transfers of surface water among public-supply systems 

in New Jersey.

26
550

Use of water: 

Thermoelectric power 

Mining Industrial 

Irrigation 

I I I I Commercial 

Domestic 

Public supply

x^X/xxx x xx xxx

COUNTY

Figure 9. Average withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey by county and 

category of use, 1991-92.
Ground water is the principal type of water used by water utilities located in the Coastal 

Plain. Withdrawals in Camden County accounted for 16 percent (average 66 Mgal/d) of all 

public-supply withdrawals of ground water in New Jersey (table 5). Withdrawals of ground water 

for public supply averaged 40 Mgal/d in Morris County, 39 Mgal/d in Ocean County, 32 Mgal/d 

in Burlington County, and 31 Mgal/d in Middlesex County (table 5).

Surface water is the primary source of water for the urban counties in northeastern and 

central New Jersey (fig. 1; table 5). Withdrawals from water-supply reservoirs in Passaic County 

(fig. 4) averaged 284 Mgal/d (table 5). Withdrawals of surface water for public supply averaged 

96 Mgal/d in Bergen County, 95 Mgal/d in Somerset County, and 86 Mgal/d in Hunterdon County 

(table 5).

Withdrawals by Hydrologic Cataloging Unit

Withdrawals for public supply in the Hackensack-Passaic HUC averaged 516 Mgal/d 

(figs. 3 and 10; table 7). Withdrawals for public supply averaged 152 Mgal/d in the Raritan HUC, 

133 Mgal/d in the Middle Delaware-Musconetcong HUC, and 104 Mgal/d in the Lower Delaware 

HUC (figs. 3 and 10; table 7).

Withdrawals of ground water for public supply in the Lower Delaware HUC averaged 

104 Mgal/d. Average ground-water withdrawals by public suppliers in the Hackensack-Passaic, 

Raritan, and Mullica-Toms HUC's were 77 Mgal/d, 57 Mgal/d, and 46 Mgal/d, respectively 

(table 7). Unclassified withdrawals of ground water totaled 6 Mgal/d.

Withdrawals for public supply from the public-supply reservoirs in the Hackensack-Passaic 

HUC accounted for about 63 percent (average 439 Mgal/d) of the average withdrawals of surface 

water for public supply in the State (table 7). Withdrawals from the Delaware River in the Middle 

Delaware-Musconetcong HUC averaged 119 Mgal/d, including withdrawals for the City of 

Trenton (fig. 1) and water transfers to the D & R Canal (figs. 4 and 8). Average withdrawals of 

surface water for public supply were 95 Mgal/d in the Raritan HUC and 30 Mgal/d in the Sandy 

Hook-Staten Island HUC (table 7). Unclassified withdrawals of surface water totaled 3 Mgal/d.

Withdrawals by Aquifer and Physiographic Province

During 1991-92, withdrawals for public supply averaged 272 Mgal/d from aquifers in the 

Coastal Plain and 129 Mgal/d from aquifers in the non-Coastal Plain physiographic provinces 

(fig. 2; table 8). Withdrawals from the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system, the primary 

source of ground water for public supply in New Jersey, averaged 167 Mgal/d. Average 

withdrawals from the Upper, Middle, Lower, and undifferentiated aquifers of the PotomacRaritan-Magothy aquifer system were 58 Mgal/d, 43 Mgal/d, 52 Mgal/d, and 14 Mgal/d, 

respectively (fig. 1 la; table 8). Withdrawals for public supply averaged 68 Mgal/d from the 

Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system and 18 Mgal/d from the Atlantic City 800-foot sand. Publicsupply withdrawals from unclassified aquifers totaled 3 Mgal/d (table 8). Average withdrawals by 

county and by aquifers within those counties are shown in figure 1 Ib and listed in table 9.

28
(A) Public supply (B) Commercial

31

(C) Irrigation (D) Industrial

(E) Mining

Hackensack-Passaic

Withdrawals, in million gallons per day, 

from hydrologic cataloging unit:

n Hackensack-Passaic (02020103)

0 Sandy Hook-Staten Island (02030104)

D Raritan (02030105)

D Middle Delaware-Musconetcong (02040105)

H Crosswicks-Neshaminy (02040201)

0 Lower Delaware (02040202)

 Cohansey-Maurice (02040206)

El Mullica-Toms (02040206)

H Great Egg Harbor (02040302)

 Unclassified withdrawals

Great Egg Harbor 

2 1 

Mullica-Toms

(F) Thermoelectric power

19

1 Cohansey-Maurice 

Great Egg Harbor

1

Figure 10. Average withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey by hydrologic 

cataloging unit, 1991-92, for: (A) public supply, (B) commercial use, (C) irrigation use, 

(D) industrial use, (E) mining use, and (F) thermoelectric-power use. (Withdrawals in the Rondout 

(02020007), Middle-Delaware-Mongaup-Brodhead (02040104), Lower Hudson (02030101), and 

Delaware Bay (02030101) hydrologic cataloging units are not shown because values were 

1 million gallons per day or less)

29
Table 7. Average withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey by hydrologic cataloging unit and category of use, 1991-92

[Values may not add to totals because of independent rounding. Withdrawals in the Middle Delaware-Mongaup-Brodhead (02040104), Lower Hudson (02030101), and Delaware Bay (02030101) 

hydrologic cataloging units averaged less than 1 million gallons per day and are not included. Withdrawals for self-supplied domestic users are not included. All values in million gallons per day; 

**, withdrawals less than 1 million gallons per day; --, withdrawals less than reporting level of 0.005 million gallons per day]

Hydrologic cataloging unit and code

Rondout (02020007)

Hackensack-Passaic

(02030103)Sandy Hook-Staten Island 

(02030104)

Raritan (02030 105)

Middle Delaware-Musconetcong 

(02040105)Crosswicks-Neshaminy (02040201)

Lower Delaware (02040202)

Cohansey-Maurice (02040206)

Mullica-Toms (02040301)Great Egg Harbor (02040302)

Unclassified withdrawals

Public supply

Ground 

water

1

77

23

57

14

8

104

29

46

36

6

Surface 

water

MEME

439

30

95

119

2

~

2

8--3

Commercial Irrigation

Ground 

water

MEME

3

1

1

8

ME*:

1

MEME

1

1

2

Surface Ground Surface 

water water water

..

1 *M.

ME*: *ME

MEME [ MEME

MEME MEME MEME

M.M. 16

M.M. ! 14

7 M.M.

** 4 67

3 1

5 3

Thermoelectric 

Industrial Mining power Total

Ground 

water

MEME

7

4

7

6

49

10

111

Surface Ground 

water water

**

6

11 1

1 **

97-57 **

13 3

1

**

7

Surface Ground Surface Ground 

water water water water

1

** -- - 88

28

2 - -- 67

** 19 28

3 -- 489 12

2 -- - 115

11 1 -- 50

6 ** -- 5251 --42

13

Surface 

water

**

445

4198

235

510

7326

82

6

13

State 401 698 17 22 101 50 193 29 508 496 1,530
(A) Aquifer and category of use

IUU

£

0 80

cc

UJ

CL

CO

Z

O

< 60 O

z 

O

_i

2

z 40 co"

1

cc

O

JE 20

§

0

I I I I i

_

_

-

-

-

1s8^ 5o< s88 £y< <x><

1

Use of water:

1 i i i i

_

1 1 1 II Thermoelectric power

till Mining

HI Industrial

[>56I Irrigation 

BHU Commercial

1 1 Public supply

_^ , , __ , ,

nv^6* _t)e®^ ftOO~^° ^i 90^ fjo'*1^ \a^ cxv

1

e<

. _*Yri* 

a»Q

|

-

_

II I H -

i

sn^

i i

-

-

i

^^ vAaQ0*^ ^NaQ0*^ &aO^*e<

AQUIFER

(B) County and aquifer

80

§40

< 20

cc 

o

I

-

Atlantic Burlington Camden Cape May Cumberland Gloucester Mercer Middlesex Monmouth Ocean

COUNTY

I I Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system, 

undifferentiated

I | Lower aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy 

aquifer system

Middle aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy 

aquifer ststem

EXPLANATION

Upper aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy 

aquifer system

Englishtown aquifer system 

Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer 

Vincentown aquifer

Salem

Piney Point aquifer 

1111II Atlantic City 800-foot sand 

E®®®3 Rio Grande water-bearing zone 

| | Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system

Figure 11. Average withdrawals of ground water in the Coastal Plain of New Jersey, 1991-92 

by: (A) aquifer and category of use, and (B) county and aquifer. (Withdrawals from unclassified 

aquifers are not shown.)

31
Table 8. Average withdrawals of ground water from Coastal Plain and non-Coastal Plain physiographic provinces in New Jersey 

by aquifer and category of use, 1991-92

[Values may not add to totals because of independent rounding. All values in million gallons per day--, withdrawals less than 0.005 million gallons per day; ##, aquifer not present; 

<, less than]

Aquifer

Public 

Supply Commercial Irrigation Industrial

Thermoelectric Self-supplied 

Mining power domestic users Total

Coastal Plain aquifers

Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system

Rio Grande water-bearing zone

Atlantic City 800-foot sand

Piney Point aquifer

Vincentown aquifer

Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer

Englishtown aquifer systemUpper Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer

Middle Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquiferLower Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquiferUndifferentiated, Potomac-Raritan-Magothy 

aquifer system

Unclassified aquifers 

Coastal Plain total

68

1

18

2

1

6

6

58

43

52

14

3

272

2 19 5 -1

<1 <1 <1<1 <1

<1 1 <1<1 <1 <1

1 <1 6

<1 1 11

<1 5

<1 <1 1

1 -- 3

5 21 31

<1 <1 -- <1 ---- <1 <1 --<1 1 -<i <i

1 - 44

22 44

94

1

19

2

1

8

7

65

58

57

15

52

378

Non-Coastal Plain aquifers

Glacial -deposit aquifers

Brunswick Group

Lockatong and Stockton Formations

Aquifers of the Kittatinny Supergroup, Franklin Limestone, and Precambrian crystalline-rock aquifers

Unclassified aquifers 

Non-Coastal Plain total 

State

64

49

4

12-- 129

401

6 <1 3

3 <1 10

<1 <1 <1<1 <1 6

3 <1

12 1 19

17 22 50

<1

1 <1

<1

1

35

2 <1 35

4 2 79

73

63

4

18

39

197

575
Table 9. Average withdrawals of ground water in New Jersey by physiographic province, aquifer, and county, 1991-

[Values may not add to totals because of independent rounding. Withdrawals for self-supplied domestic users are included in unclassified aquifers. All 

 , withdrawals less than 0.005 million gallons per day; ##, aquifer not present; <, less than]

Physiographic province

Aquifer

Atlantic

Coastal Plain

Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system 25

Rio Grande water-bearing zone

Atlantic City 800-foot sand 8

Piney Point aquifer < 1

Vincentown aquifer ##

Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer

Englishtown aquifer system

Upper Potomac-Raritan-Magothy 

aquifer

Middle Potomac-Raritan-Magothy 

aquifer ##

Lower Potomac-Raritan-Magothy 

aquifer ##

Undifferentiated, Potomac-RaritanMagothy aquifer system

Unclassified aquifers 9

Coastal Plain total 42

Burlington Camden

1 7

## ##

## ##

<1

-

4 2

<1 1

5 12

17 7

10 40

4 1

6 1

47 71

County

Cape May Cumberland Gloucester Mercer1

Coastal Plain aquifers

10 26 3

i ## m

6 ## ##

-

## ##

<i

##

12

## ## 6

## ## 6

1

657

23 31 35

##

##

##

##

##

##

##

1

7

##

2

~

10

Middlesex1

m

m

m

m

m

m

m

20

12

m

-

2

34
Table 9. Average withdrawals of ground water in New Jersey by physiographic province, aquifer, and county, 1991-9

Physiographic province

Aquifer County

Bergen Essex Hudson Hunterdon Mercer Middlesex Morris

Non-Coastal Plain aquifers

Piedmont, Highlands, and 

Valley and Ridge Provinces

Glacial-deposit aquifers 7 13 ## <1 ## ## 37

Piedmont Province

Aquifers of the Brunswick 

Group 21 11 <1 4 <1 6 1

Other aquifers including 

Lockatong and Stockton 

Formations <1 <1 -- <1 2 <1 ##

Highlands and 

Valley and Ridge Province

Aquifers of the Kirtatinny 

Supergroup, Franklin 

Limestone, and Precambrian 

crystalline-rock aquifers ## ## ## 1 ## ## 5

Unclassified aquifers 2 -- - 7 1 18

Non-Coastal Plain total 30 24 <1 12 3 7 51

Passaic Somerse

3 -- 

3 6 

## <1 

1 ## 

2 4 

9 10 

1 Mercer and Middlesex Counties are in both Coastal Plain and non-Coastal Plain physiographic provinces.
In the non-Coastal Plain physiographic provinces (Piedmont, Highlands, and Valley and 

Ridge) north of the Fall Line (fig. 2), the primary source of ground-water withdrawals for public 

supply was the glacial-deposit aquifers (average 64 Mgal/d) (fig. I2a). Withdrawals for public 

supply averaged 53 Mgal/d from aquifers of the Brunswick Group and the Lockatong and 

Stockton Formations combined, and 12 Mgal/d from the aquifers of the Kittatinny Supergroup 

and the Precambrian crystalline-rock aquifers (fig. 12a). Average withdrawals from aquifers in the 

non-Coastal Plain physiographic provinces by county and aquifer are shown in figure I2b.

Domestic

Domestic water use was estimated to average 639 Mgal/d during 1991-92, including selfsupplied ground-water withdrawals of 79 Mgal/d and water deliveries from public suppliers 

estimated to be 560 Mgal/d (fig. 6 and table 5). Withdrawals by self-supplied domestic users 

during 1991-92 were estimated to average 44 Mgal/d in the Coastal Plain and 35 Mgal/d from the 

non-Coastal Plain physiographic provinces (table 8). The estimated distribution of the 969,000 

self-supplied domestic users in New Jersey by county is shown in table 6.

Almost one in eight New Jersey residents maintains a private well (table 6). Most residents 

of Hunterdon (64 percent) and Sussex (63 percent) Counties and about one-half the population of 

Cape May (49 percent) and Warren (45 percent) Counties are supplied by domestic wells (fig. 7 

and table 6). During 1991-92, the largest average withdrawals by self-supplied domestic users 

were estimated to be 9 Mgal/d from wells in Ocean County (figs. 7b and 9; table 5). Average 

withdrawals by self-supplied domestic users were 7 Mgal/d each in Burlington, Morris, and 

Sussex Counties and 6 Mgal/d each in Atlantic and Hunterdon Counties (figs. 7b and 9; table 5).

The per capita use of water by self-supplied domestic users in New Jersey reported in 

previous studies was 75 gal/d (Solley and others, 1993; Saarela, 1992; Nawyn and Clawges, 

1995), 83 gal/d (Nawyn, 1997b, 1997c), 84 gal/d (Nawyn, I997a), and 100 gal/d (Merend, 1989). 

The estimated per capita value used in this report is 82 gal/d. Estimated average withdrawals by 

self-supplied domestic users in 1991-92 (79 Mgal/d) were 13 percent greater than the average 

withdrawals in 1989-90 (70 Mgal/d), when the per capita value was estimated to be 75 gal/d 

(Nawyn and Clawges, 1995). This increase is the result of the method of estimating per capita 

use.

Commercial

Commercial water use averaged 227 Mgal/d during 1991-92, including ground-water 

withdrawals of 17 Mgal/d, surface-water withdrawals of 1 Mgal/d, and water deliveries from 

public suppliers of 209 Mgal/d (fig. 6 and table 5). In 1991, withdrawals for commercial use 

totaled 15 Mgal/d, including 1 Mgal/d of surface water (table 3). In 1992, withdrawals for 

commercial use totaled 18 Mgal/d, including 1 Mgal/d of surface water (table 4). Average total 

withdrawals during 1991-92 for commercial users totaled 18 Mgal/d, about 2 Mgal/d greater than

during 1989-90 (16 Mgal/d) (Nawyn and Clawges, 1995).2

2 Ground-water withdrawals for commercial use in 1991 (14 Mgal/d, table 3) and ground-water withdrawals 

for commercial use in 1992 (17 Mgal/d, table 4) appear to average to 17 Mgal/d (table 5) as a result of the averaging 

method used: The average of 1 Mgal/d and <1 Mgal/d was considered to be 1 Mgal/d.

35
(Q ^ < C CO 5 m o a. i Is 

CQ < 3 

CD 5- C 1 3 co c5" 

CO < Q) 3L _ QJ Q- co CD ^ 13 m cb ^* ^ ro co 

5" q- c? § 0) 6 ^. 

£8 ^ » 

W ~ 3 Q. 

9,. 

DAY PER GALLONS MILLION IN WITHDRAWALS, ^. V

ooiooiooiooiooiooiooiooi % \

"o %

>%-o

0^

%

f

<P£^

CO\

Ul % 1 1 1 1 1 III 1 1 1 1 1 1 

l^^H

1 1 i rtrl i^B fsT:l n| _ nI 

-1 1 

~ C 3" Q. o C ~ 

OT * C 3 °" 1 

ro § CQ - 3 0 

It * I 1 s. 1 s >< 5 o " T3 Oi

K^M~

^>^3C

CD"

-t v30V

cS 0

 5

o^c

OT

CD

B> 0) 5' CD 

^-^ CQ 

~u 5" o ^ 3 ^ o c 3 co 

^* CD X

DAY PER GALLONS MILLION IN WITHDRAWALS, o 01 o 01 o 
In 1991, there were about 160,500 commercial establishments in New Jersey (Homer, 1992, 

p. 249). Most commercial users are located within the water service areas of public suppliers, and 

these users receive chiefly publicly supplied water (209 Mgal/d). Typically, self-supplied 

commercial users are schools, colleges, parks, and toll-road service areas distant from the 

distribution system of public suppliers. Large self-supplied commercial users, such as hospitals, 

hotels, and research centers, may purchase water from public suppliers and use the self-supplied 

withdrawals for building and lawn maintenance.

Withdrawals by County

During 1991-92, withdrawals for commercial use in Warren County averaged 8 Mgal/d, 

accounting for nearly one-half of all withdrawals for commercial use in New Jersey (fig. 9; 

table 5). Average commercial withdrawals in Atlantic County during this period were 2 Mgal/d. 

Withdrawals by commercial users in Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Essex, Monmouth, Morris, 

and Union Counties averaged 1 Mgal/d each during 1991-92. Withdrawals for commercial use 

consisted almost entirely of ground water; most withdrawals were in Warren County where the 

Pequest (State-operated) fish hatcheries are located. Surface-water withdrawals for commercial 

use in the State were 1 Mgal/d each in 1991 and 1992 (tables 3 and 4).

Withdrawals by Hydrologic Cataloging Unit

The largest withdrawals by commercial users (average 8 Mgal/d) in the State were in the 

Middle Delaware-Musconetcong HUC. Withdrawals by commercial facilities averaged 3 Mgal/d 

in the Hackensack-Passaic HUC and 1 Mgal/d each in the Great Egg Harbor, Lower Delaware, 

Mullica-Toms, Raritan, and Sandy Hook-Staten Island HUC's (figs. 3 and 10; table 7). 

Unclassified withdrawals of ground water totaled 2 Mgal/d.

Withdrawals by Aquifer and Physiographic Province

During 1991-92, withdrawals for commercial use averaged 5 Mgal/d from aquifers in the 

Coastal Plain and 12 Mgal/d from aquifers in the non-Coastal Plain physiographic provinces. 

Withdrawals averaged 2 Mgal/d from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, and 1 Mgal/d each 

from the Atlantic City 800-foot sand, Upper Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer, and unclassified 

aquifers in the Coastal Plain (fig. 1 la; table 8). Withdrawals for commercial use in the nonCoastal Plain physiographic provinces averaged 6 Mgal/d from glacial-deposit aquifers, 3 Mgal/d 

from aquifers of the Brunswick Group, and 3 Mgal/d from unclassified aquifers (fig. 12a; table 8).

Irrigation

Withdrawals for irrigation during 1991-92 averaged 123 Mgal/d, including 22 Mgal/d of 

ground water and 101 Mgal/d of surface water (table 5). In 1991, withdrawals for irrigation use 

totaled 139 Mgal/d-27 Mgal/d of ground water and 112 Mgal/d of surface water (table 3). In 

1992, withdrawals for irrigation use were 104 Mgal/d~16 Mgal/d of ground water and 88 Mgal/d 

of surface water (table 4).

37
New Jersey, the Garden State, supports a viable agricultural trade because of the State's 

productive soils, proximity to major markets, and abundant water resources. In 1992, about 9,000 

farms occupied 17 percent (848,000 acres or 1,330 mi2 ) (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1994a) of the 

land area of the State. Vegetables, tree fruits (peaches), small fruit or nut crops (blueberries), and 

sod (turf) are the chief crops that are irrigated. Irrigation withdrawals for crop and orchard 

cultivation are chiefly in counties located in the Coastal Plain (figs. 2 and 9; tables 5 and 10). The 

largest concentrations of irrigated acres (excluding cranberry acreage) are in Cumberland, Salem, 

Gloucester, and Atlantic Counties. Most irrigation systems in New Jersey are sprinkler systems 

rather than low-flow systems such as micro-spray or drip irrigation (table 10). Characteristics of 

farms were compiled from 1992 and 1993 data (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1994a). 

Characteristics of irrigation methods were compiled from 1993 data (Irrigation Journal, 1994).

Agricultural irrigation data were compiled from NJDEP data, independently of the 

SSWUDS data base, because not all agricultural withdrawal data are in the USGS data base. 

Withdrawals for non-agricultural irrigation purposes, such as golf courses, accounted for about 

1 percent of all withdrawals for irrigation use. Non-agricultural irrigation data were compiled 

from the SSWUDS data base. Withdrawals for livestock, commonly associated with agricultural 

water use, are not included in this report.

The amount of water attributed to agricultural irrigation in New Jersey is misleading 

because (1) water is applied to crops chiefly during the growing season (June - August), and 

withdrawals are reported as a yearly average; and (2) agricultural withdrawals include the nonconsumptive use of water in cranberry production. In addition, climatological conditions, such as 

precipitation, temperature, and solar radiation, in the agricultural areas can affect the amount of 

water that is required by crops and applied by irrigators (Clawges and Titus, 1993). Temperature 

and solar radiation affect evapotranspiration, which is the direct loss of water from the soil surface 

and the loss of water vapor from plant leaves. More water is lost from the soil surface with a 

newly planted crop because the surface area that is exposed to solar radiation is larger than that of 

a mature crop with leaf cover. Increased temperature will increase water loss early in the growing 

season, when the amount of solar radiation is high, and late in the season, when plant leaves 

transpire at high rates in response to high temperatures.

Average monthly precipitation during the growing season in 1991-92 in the Southern 

climatological division (National Climatic Data Center, 1992, 1993), an area that includes most of 

the irrigated acres in the State, was more than 2 in. greater than the average monthly precipitation 

during the growing season in 1951-80 (National Climatic Data Center, 1992, 1993). Average 

monthly precipitation during the growing season in 1989-90 in the Southern division was more 

than 4 in. greater than that in 1951-80 (National Climatic Data Center, 1990, 1991).

Temperatures during the growing season in the Southern division in 1991 and 1992 were 

about 2 °F greater than and about 2 °F less than, respectively, the average temperature for the 

growing season during 1951-80 (National Climatic Data Center, 1992, 1993). Temperatures 

during the growing season in the Southern division in 1989 and 1990 were about 1 °F greater than 

and 1 °F less than, respectively, the average temperature for the growing season during 1951-80 

(National Climatic Data Center, 1990, 1991).

38
Table 10. Characteristics of farms in New Jersey, 1992 and 1993

[Values may not add to totals because of independent rounding. Data on characteristics of farms in 1992 from 

U.S. Bureau of the Census (1994a). Data on characteristics of farms in 1993 from Irrigation Journal (1994)]

Characteristic Number, percent, or acres

Farms (1992)

With irrigated acres 1,200 

Total 9,032

Land in farms (1992) 894,000 acres 

Average size 99 acres

Size of farms (1992)

Less than 50 acres 60 % 

Greater than 500 acres 4 %

Irrigated acres (1992)

Cumberland County 18,000

Salem County 14,000

Gloucester County 13,000

Atlantic County 12.000

Burlington County 8,800

All other counties 14,600

Total for State 80,400

Irrigated acres by crop (1993) Number Percent

Vegetables

Tree fruits

Small fruit or nuts

Sod (turf)

Nursery

Field crops

57,170

12,300

7,035

6,715

5,190

4,680

61%

13%

8%

7%

5%

5%

Irrigation methods (1993) Percent

Sprinkler

Center pivot or linear move 4 % 

Traveler 50 % 

Solid set 17% 

Hand move 23 %

Low-flow

Micro-spray (surface) 0.1% 

Drip (surface) 6 %

39
As a result, in part, of the lower average precipitation in 1991-92 than in 1989-90 during the 

growing season in the Southern division, withdrawals for irrigation use averaged 123 Mgal/d 

during 1991-92, an increase of 18 Mgal/d, or 17 percent, from the 105 Mgal/d withdrawn during 

1989-90 (Nawyn and Clawges, 1995).

In 1991, New Jersey ranked third in the United States in cranberry production (U.S. Bureau 

of the Census, 1991b). Cranberry bogs, which cover about 3,000 acres (Clawges and Titus, 1993), 

are flooded twice a year for harvesting and frost protection (Titus and others, 1992, p. 2, 17). 

Withdrawals for cranberry production in the State were estimated to be about 76 Mgal/d in 1986 

(unpublished data on file at New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, N.J.), 

and in 1992, 91 percent of total acres in cranberry production in the State was in Burlington 

County (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1994a). If water demand for cranberry production is assumed 

to be about the same every year, agricultural withdrawals in New Jersey for non-cranberry 

irrigation are estimated to have been 63 Mgal/d in 1991 and 28 Mgal/d in 1992.

Withdrawals by County

Most of the withdrawals for irrigation use were from counties in the Coastal Plain. 

Withdrawals of ground water for irrigation use averaged 7 Mgal/d in Cumberland County, 

6 Mgal/d in Atlantic County, and 2 Mgal/d each in Burlington, Camden, and Salem Counties 

(table 5). Withdrawals of surface water in Burlington County, chiefly for cranberry production, 

averaged 84 Mgal/d, or 68 percent of total withdrawals for irrigation use. Withdrawals in 

Gloucester, Atlantic, and Cumberland Counties averaged 6 Mgal/d, 4 Mgal/d, and 2 Mgal/d, 

respectively (table 5).

Withdrawals by Hydrologic Cataloging Unit

The largest average withdrawals (71 Mgal/d) for irrigation use were in the Mullica-Toms 

HUC. Withdrawals in the Crosswicks-Neshaminy, Lower Delaware, and Cohansey-Maurice 

HUC's averaged 16 Mgal/d, 15 Mgal/d, and 7 Mgal/d, respectively (figs. 3 and 10; table 7). 

Ground-water withdrawals averaged 7 Mgal/d in the Cohansey-Maurice HUC, 4 Mgal/d in the 

Mullica-Toms HUC, and 3 Mgal/d in the Great Egg Harbor HUC. Unclassified withdrawals of 

ground water averaged 5 Mgal/d. Surface-water withdrawals averaged 67 Mgal/d in the MullicaToms HUC. Withdrawals of surface water for irrigation use in the Crosswicks-Neshaminy and 

Lower Delaware HUC's averaged 16 Mgal/d and 14 Mgal/d, respectively (table 7).

Withdrawals by Aquifer and Physiographic Province

During 1991-92, withdrawals for irrigation use averaged 21 Mgal/d from aquifers in the 

Coastal Plain and 1 Mgal/d from aquifers in the non-Coastal Plain physiographic provinces 

(table 8). The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system is the chief source of ground water for 

irrigation use in New Jersey. Average withdrawals from this aquifer system during 1991-92 were 

19 Mgal/d, or 86 percent of total withdrawals of ground water for irrigation use (table 8). 

Irrigation withdrawals averaged 1 Mgal/d each from the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer and the 

Middle Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer.

40
Industrial

Industrial water use in New Jersey averaged 342 Mgal/d during 1991-92, including groundwater withdrawals of 50 Mgal/d, surface-water withdrawals of 193 Mgal/d, and water deliveries 

from public suppliers of 99 Mgal/d (fig. 6 and table 5). In 1991, withdrawals for industrial use 

were 248 Mgal/d~51 Mgal/d of ground water and 197 Mgal/d of surface water (table 3). In 1992, 

withdrawals for industrial use were 238 Mgal/d-51 Mgal/d of ground water and 187 Mgal/d of 

surface water (table 4). Average withdrawals of ground water during 1991-92 (50 Mgal/d) for 

industrial users were 3 Mgal/d less than withdrawals during 1989-90 (53 Mgal/d); however, 

average withdrawals of surface water during 1991-92 (193 Mgal/d) decreased 16 percent from 

withdrawals during 1989-90 (230 Mgal/d) (Nawyn and Clawges, 1995). This change is related to 

decreased withdrawals for industrial use in Hunterdon and Warren Counties.

Withdrawals for industrial use are reported for facilities that supply all or part of their water 

requirements. The U.S. Bureau of the Census (1994b) reported that about 12,800 industrial 

facilities operated in New Jersey in 1992. About 84 percent of all industrial facilities in the State 

employed fewer than 50 employees, and about 36 percent of all industrial facilities were small 

(one to four employees) manufacturing operations, located chiefly in urban areas that are served 

by water utilities (table 11) (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1986, 1994b).

During 1991-92, the number of self-supplied industrial users in New Jersey totaled about 

300 facilities, including chemical, petroleum, and paper-manufacturing facilities; however, selfsupplied industrial users accounted for only about 2 percent of all industrial facilities in New 

Jersey. The most recent (1983) data on water use in manufacturing from the U.S. Bureau of the 

Census (1986) indicate that self-supplied industrial users withdrawing 0.05 Mgal/d or greater 

accounted for 86 percent (541 Mgal/d) of total industrial water use (632 Mgal/d). Industrial 

deliveries from public suppliers accounted for 14 percent (91 Mgal/d) of total industrial water 

use. During 1991-92, self-supplied withdrawals were estimated to be 71 percent (243 Mgal/d) of 

total industrial water use (342 Mgal/d), and industrial deliveries (99 Mgal/d) from public 

suppliers were estimated to be 29 percent of total industrial water use (fig. 6; table 5).

From 1983 to 1992, total industrial use in New Jersey decreased 290 Mgal/d (U.S. Bureau 

of the Census, 1986). The use of publicly supplied water increased 8 Mgal/d; however, the use of 

self-supplied water decreased 298 Mgal/d. These changes can be attributed to the loss or decrease 

in size of water-intensive manufacturing facilities (dyeing and finishing, primary metals, chemical 

and paper manufacturing) and to increased water efficiency in many manufacturing processes. In 

New Jersey, the number of small (less than 50 employees) industrial facilities within areas served 

by public suppliers has increased (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990, 1994c), and the volume of 

supplemental water purchased by self-supplied industrial users also has increased. In response to 

the increased cost of wastewater treatment and NJDEP water-conservation regulations, most 

industrial users have increased their water efficiency by installing water-conserving plumbing 

fixtures, increasing water recycling, modifying industrial processes, and replacing machinery with 

more water-efficient equipment (Ploesner and others, 1992).
Table 11. Characteristics of industrial establishments in New Jersey, 1992

[Valuez may not add to totals because of independent Founding; -, no value reported. Values greater than 1,000 are 

rounded to three significant figures. Employee and establishment data from U.S. Bureau of the Census (1994b); 

Standard Industrial Classification codes from Office of Management and Budget (1987)]

Characteristic

Number of establishments 

by employment- size class

Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code and 

associated industry

28

27

34

35

36

38

20

30

23

26

32

33

39

22

37

25

29

Chemical and allied products

Printing and polishing

Fabricated metals

Industrial machinery and equipment

Electronic equipment

Instrument and related products

Food and kindred products

Rubber and plastic

Apparel and other textile products

Paper and allied products

Stone, clay, and glass

Primary metal industries

Miscellaneous manufacturing

Textile mill products

Transportation equipment

Furniture and fixtures

Petroleum and coal

24 Lumber and wood products 

All SIC codes

Number of 

employees

72,300

54,500

37,600

37,300

36,000

35,800

32,000

31,000

30,700

20,800

17,000

12,700

14,700

11,000

8,700

6,360

4,500

3,700

466,700

Number of 

establishments

818

2,500

1,250

1,760

717

519

562

669

1,240

304

411

222

577

352

219

304

73

333

12,800

Percent of total establishments

1 to 4

162

1,215

367

704

211

162

143

112

499

34

138

53

237

96

98

120

22

170

4,540

36

5 to 49

398

1,070

710

908

321

246

272

370

573

72

207

109

263

185

88

149

30

150

6,120

48

50 to 

249

207

182

155

128

159

87

117

170

155

185

54

46

68

71

25

34

18

13

1,900

15

250 or 

more

51

30

14

18

26

24

30

17

12

13

12

14

9

--

8

1

3

--

280

2

42
Water use by industries in New Jersey is chiefly nonconsumptive use. More than one-half 

the gross water (the sum of water intake plus water recirculated and reused without regard to 

evaporation) used by industrial facilities is recycled within the facility (U.S. Bureau of the 

Census, 1986). Recycled water commonly is used for cooling, industrial processes, and lawn 

watering (Ploeser and others, 1992); therefore, additional consumptive use is possible. Data on 

the use of water by industries in New Jersey in 1983 show that cooling and condensing 

(69 percent), production or processing (25 percent), sanitary services (2 percent), and boiler feed 

(3 percent) were the chief uses of water in industrial facilities (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1986).

Withdrawals by County

Withdrawals for industrial use averaged 62 Mgal/d each in Warren and Gloucester Counties 

and 32 Mgal/d in Hunterdon County (fig. 9; table 5). Paper-products manufacturing and chemical 

production in Warren and Hunterdon Counties accounted for nearly all withdrawals for industrial 

use in these counties. Chemical and oil refinery facilities accounted for the large withdrawals for 

industrial use reported in Gloucester County.

Industries located in counties in the Coastal Plain withdrew the largest volume of ground 

water for industrial operations (table 8). Withdrawals of ground water for industrial use in the 

Coastal Plain area averaged 8 Mgal/d in Gloucester County, 7 Mgal/d in Middlesex County, and 

6 Mgal/d in Cumberland County. In other areas of the State, the average withdrawals of ground 

water for industrial use were 6 Mgal/d in Bergen County, 4 Mgal/d in Warren County, and 

3 Mgal/d each in Morris and Salem Counties (table 5).

Withdrawals of surface water in Warren County averaged 58 Mgal/d and accounted for 

30 percent of all surface-water withdrawals for industrial use in New Jersey. Withdrawals of 

surface water averaged 54 Mgal/d in Gloucester County, 30 Mgal/d in Hunterdon County, 

14 Mgal/d in Bergen County, and 13 Mgal/d in Salem County (table 5).

Withdrawals by Hydrologic Cataloging Unit

During 1991-92, withdrawals by industrial facilities in the Middle Delaware-Musconetcong 

HUC averaged 103 Mgal/d (figs. 3 and 10; table 7). Withdrawals in the Lower Delaware, 

Cohansey-Maurice, Sandy Hook-Staten Island, and Hackensack-Passaic HUC's averaged 

66 Mgal/d, 23 Mgal/d, 15 Mgal/d, and 13 Mgal/d, respectively.

Ground-water withdrawals averaged 10 Mgal/d in the Cohansey-Maurice HUC, 9 Mgal/d in 

the Lower Delaware HUC, and 7 Mgal/d each in the Hackensack-Passaic and Raritan HUC's 

(table 7). Unclassified withdrawals of ground water averaged 1 Mgal/d. Average surface-water 

withdrawals in the Middle Delaware-Musconetcong were 97 Mgal/d and accounted for the largest 

volume of water used by New Jersey industries. Withdrawals of surface water in the Lower 

Delaware, Cohansey-Maurice, and Sandy Hook-Staten Island HUC's averaged 57 Mgal/d, 

13 Mgal/d, and 11 Mgal/d, respectively. Unclassified withdrawals of surface water for industrial 

use averaged 7 Mgal/d (table 7).

43
Withdrawals by Aquifer and Physiographic Province

During 1991-92, withdrawals of ground water by industrial users averaged 31 Mgal/d in the 

Coastal Plain and 19 Mgal/d in the non-Coastal Plain physiographic provinces (table 8). 

Withdrawals from the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system (average 23 Mgal/d) were 

among the largest ground-water withdrawals for industrial use in New Jersey (fig. 1 la). Average 

withdrawals were 11 Mgal/d from the Middle aquifer, 6 Mgal/d from the Upper aquifer, 5 Mgal/d 

from the Lower aquifer, and 1 Mgal/d from the undifferentiated aquifers of the Potomac-RaritanMagothy aquifer system. Withdrawals for industrial use from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer 

system averaged 5 Mgal/d. Withdrawals from unclassified aquifers in the Coastal Plain averaged

3 Mgal/d (table 8).

In the non-Coastal Plain physiographic provinces, ground-water withdrawals for industrial 

use averaged 3 Mgal/d from glacial-deposit aquifers, 10 Mgal/d from aquifers of the Brunswick 

Group, and 6 Mgal/d from aquifers of the Kittatinny Supergroup, Franklin Limestone, and 

Precambrian crystalline-rock aquifers, (fig. 12a; table 8).

Mining

Withdrawals for mining use in New Jersey averaged 33 Mgal/d during 1991-92, including

4 Mgal/d of ground water and 29 Mgal/d of surface water (table 5). In 1991, withdrawals for 

mining operations were 30 Mgal/d~2 Mgal/d of ground water and 28 Mgal/d of surface water 

(table 3). In 1992, withdrawals for mining use were 35 Mgal/d~5 Mgal/d of ground water and 

30 Mgal/d of surface water (table 4). Average withdrawals of both ground water and surface water 

declined sharply during 1991-92 from the average withdrawals for mining use during 1989-90 

(82 Mgal/d) (Nawyn and Clawges, 1995). The decrease in ground-water withdrawals for mining 

use can be traced to the closing of a mining operation in Sussex County. This facility was the 

largest user of ground water for mining in the State. The decrease in surface-water withdrawals 

can be traced to reduced production, beginning in 1990, at the largest user of surface water for 

mining activities in the State.

The geologic resources of New Jersey support a diversity of mining activities for the 

158 mining facilities in the State (Horner, 1992, p. 249). Crushed stone, consisting of basalt and 

granite, is extracted throughout the Piedmont, Highlands, and Valley and Ridge physiographic 

provinces. Shale is quarried in the Piedmont physiographic province. Among the states, New 

Jersey ranks third in the production of industrial sand and gravel (U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1995). 

The Coastal Plain yields sand and gravel for housing and road construction, industrial sand for 

glass making, and fire clay for furnaces and ceramics. New Jersey is the only state to produce 

greensand, a water softening, filtration medium to remove soluble iron and manganese from 

ground water and as an organic conditioner for soils (Harrison, 1988; U.S. Bureau of Mines, 

1995).

44
Withdrawals by County

During 1991-92, the largest withdrawals for mining activities averaged 11 Mgal/d in 

Cumberland County (fig. 9; table 5). Average withdrawals were 6 Mgal/d in Ocean County and 

4 Mgal/d each in Burlington and Cape May Counties (table 5).

Withdrawals by Hydrologic Cataloging Unit

Average withdrawals for mining use were 14 Mgal/d in the Cohansey-Maurice HUC, 

6 Mgal/d in the Mullica-Toms HUC, and 5 Mgal/d in the Great Egg Harbor HUC (fig. 10; 

table 7). Ground-water withdrawals for mining use in the Cohansey-Maurice and Sandy HookStaten Island HUC's averaged 3 Mgal/d and 1 Mgal/d, respectively. Surface-water withdrawals in 

the Cohansey-Maurice HUC averaged 11 Mgal/d. Withdrawals of surface water for mining use 

averaged 6 Mgal/d in the Mullica-Toms HUC and 5 Mgal/d in the Great Egg Harbor HUC 

(table 7).

Withdrawals by Aquifer and Physiographic Province

During 1991-92, withdrawals for mining use from aquifers in the Coastal Plain and from 

aquifers in the non-Coastal Plain physiographic provinces averaged 2 Mgal/d each. Withdrawals 

from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer, Middle PotomacRaritan-Magothy aquifer, and unclassified aquifers in the Coastal Plain averaged 1 Mgal/d or less 

each (table 8). Withdrawals averaged 1 Mgal/d each from aquifers of the Brunswick Group and 

aquifers of the Kittatinny Supergroup, Franklin Limestone, and Precambrian crystalline-rock 

aquifers, (table 8).

Thermoelectric Power

Withdrawals for thermoelectric-power use in New Jersey averaged 532 Mgal/d during 

1991-92, including ground-water withdrawals of 2 Mgal/d, surface-water withdrawals of 

508 Mgal/d, and water deliveries from public suppliers of 22 Mgal/d. In 1991, withdrawals for 

thermoelectric-power use totaled 499 Mgal/d-2 Mgal/d of ground water and 497 Mgal/d of 

surface water (table 3). In 1992, withdrawals for thermoelectric-power use were 520 Mgal/d~ 

2 Mgal/d of ground water and 518 Mgal/d of surface water (table 4). About 24 percent of total 

withdrawals of freshwater in New Jersey during 1991-92 was used for generation of 

thermoelectric power.

Water provided the power for industrial development in New Jersey. Early mills used paddle 

wheels to harness the waterpower of streams and canals. In the 20th century, electric power 

replaced waterpower; however, power generation is still largely dependent on water. Most 

thermoelectric-power plants in the State withdraw surface water for cooling purposes and steam 

generation.

Electricity was produced at 30 generating plants in New Jersey, including four nuclear 

power units (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1994d, p. 599). The surface-water withdrawals are

45
chiefly (about 99 percent) nonconsumptive; water is used for once-through cooling of condensers 

and is returned chiefly to the Delaware River (Paul Mensing, Public Service Electric and Gas 

Company, Newark, N.J., written commun., 1996). Ground-water withdrawals are used for steam 

generation, potable water, and other non-cooling purposes. Withdrawals of saline water and 

deliveries of reclaimed wastewater for thermoelectric-power use in New Jersey are not included 

in this report. More than 90 percent of all water used for electric-power generation in New Jersey 

is saline water (Solley and others, 1993, p. 53).

Withdrawals for thermoelectric-power use in New Jersey are variable and are related to 

three factors climatological conditions, the number of operating electric generating units, and the 

price of electricity produced outside the State and therefore may not be directly related to energy 

demands. Energy demands of customers in New Jersey are most directly related to climatological 

conditions. Conditions such as above-average summer temperatures and humidity increase the 

energy demand for air conditioning; similarly, below-average winter temperatures increase the 

energy demand for heating. In New Jersey, electric-power demands during the summer are greater 

than those during the other seasons (Paul Mensing, Public Service Electric and Gas Company, 

Newark, N.J., oral commun., 1996). In 1991 and 1992, average summer (June-August) 

temperatures in New Jersey were about 2 °F greater than and about 2 °F less than, respectively, the 

average temperature for the summer months during 1951-80 (National Climatic Data Center, 

1990, 1991, 1992,1993); consequently, the electric-power demand for air conditioning was 

greater in 1991 than in 1992.

Another important factor that can affect withdrawals for thermoelectric-power use is the 

number of operating electric generating units at each facility. At any given time, one or more of 

the steam-turbine generating units at an electric utility plant may be idle because of repairs or 

rehabilitation. During 1991-92, major rehabilitation work was occurring at the electric-power 

generating station in Mercer County (Donald McCoskey, Public Service Gas and Electric 

Company, Trenton, N.J., oral commun., 1996). This generating station accounts for more than 

90 percent of all withdrawals of non-saline water for thermoelectric-power use.

About 40 percent of the electricity used in New Jersey is generated outside of the State 

(New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, 1996, http://www.njin.net/njbpu). For example, in 1992, 

electric-energy sales in New Jersey totaled 63.1gigawatt-hours (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 

1994d); however, about 31 gigawatt-hours of electricity was generated from thermoelectricpower facilities in the State (Karen McDaniel, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C., oral 

commun., 1995). The additional electric power was generated from thermoelectric-power 

facilities located beyond the State's borders; however, if the price of electricity from outside the 

State is greater than the cost of producing electricity within the State, electric utilities may choose 

to generate more electricity within the State.

During 1991-92, average surface-water withdrawals for thermoelectric-power use 

(510 Mgal/d) were 22 percent less than average withdrawals during 1989-90 (657 Mgal/d) 

(Nawyn and Clawges, 1995). This decrease in withdrawals for thermoelectric-power use can be 

attributed, in part, to the rehabilitation work at the electric-power generating station in Mercer 

County.

46
Withdrawals by County

The Delaware River is the primary source of non-saline water for thermoelectric facilities in 

New Jersey. Electric utilities operate fossil-fuel generating stations along the Delaware River in 

Mercer, Hunterdon, and Burlington Counties; surface-water withdrawals in these counties during 

1991-92 averaged 472 Mgal/d, 19 Mgal/d, and 17 Mgal/d, respectively (fig. 9; table 5). 

Withdrawals of ground water for thermoelectric-power use in Salem County averaged 1 Mgal/d 

for the combined pumpage of three electric-power-generating stations. Withdrawals of ground 

water in Cape May and Hunterdon Counties were less than 1 Mgal/d (table 5).

Withdrawals by Hydrologic Cataloging Unit

Ground-water withdrawals for thermoelectric-power use were largest in the CohanseyMaurice HUC, averaging 1 Mgal/d. Withdrawals of ground water in the Great Egg Harbor HUC 

averaged slightly less than 1 Mgal/d. Surface-water withdrawals in the Crosswicks-Nesharniny 

HUC accounted for about 95 percent (average 489 Mgal/d) of withdrawals for thermoelectricpower generation in the State. Withdrawals of surface water in the Middle DelawareMusconetcong HUC averaged 19 Mgal/d (figs. 3 and 10; table 7).

Withdrawals by Aquifer and Physiographic Province

Withdrawals of ground water by nuclear power-plant facilities located in the Coastal Plain 

accounted for most of the withdrawals of ground water for thermoelectric-power use. The Middle 

Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer provided 1 Mgal/d for the generation of thermoelectric power 

(fig. 1 la; table 8), and the Atlantic City 800-foot sand, Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, 

Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer, and undifferentiated aquifers of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy 

aquifer system provided less than 1 Mgal/d each (table 8).

SUMMARY

Withdrawals of ground water and surface water in New Jersey were compiled from monthly 

withdrawal data provided to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection by water 

users with pumping equipment capable of producing 100,000 gal/d (gallons per day) or greater. In 

1991, withdrawals in New Jersey totaled about 2,110 Mgal/d (million gallons per day)~ 

576 Mgal/d of ground water and 1,534 Mgal/d of surface water. In 1992, withdrawals totaled 

about 2,090 Mgal/d~571 Mgal/d of ground water and 1,519 Mgal/d of surface water.

During 1991-92, withdrawals for public supply averaged about 1,099 Mgal/d for 6.8 million 

residents of the State. Ground-water withdrawals for public supply averaged 401 Mgal/d and 

surface-water withdrawals averaged 698 Mgal/d. About one-quarter of all publicly supplied water 

in New Jersey is withdrawn in Passaic County, where withdrawals for public supply averaged 

about 290 Mgal/d (about 6 Mgal/d of ground water and about 284 Mgal/d of surface water). 

Withdrawals for public supply from aquifers in the Coastal Plain averaged 272 Mgal/d. Publicsupply withdrawals from the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system, the primary source of 

ground water for public supply in New Jersey, averaged 167 Mgal/d. Average withdrawals from

47
the Upper, Middle, Lower, and undifferentiated aquifers of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer 

system were 58 Mgal/d, 43 Mgal/d, 52 Mgal/d, and 14 Mgal/d, respectively.

Domestic water use averaged 639 Mgal/d during 1991-92, including ground-water 

withdrawals of 79 Mgal/d by self-supplied domestic users (969,000 residents) and water 

deliveries from public suppliers of 560 Mgal/d. The domestic per capita use by self-supplied 

domestic users was estimated to be 82 gal/d. Withdrawals by self-supplied domestic users were 

estimated to average 9 Mgal/d in Ocean County, 7 Mgal/d each in Burlington, Morris, and Sussex 

Counties, and 6 Mgal/d each in Atlantic and Hunterdon Counties.

Commercial water use averaged 227 Mgal/d during 1991-92, including withdrawals of 

17 Mgal/d of ground water, 1 Mgal/d of surface water, and water deliveries from public suppliers 

of 209 Mgal/d. State-operated fish hatcheries in Warren County were the largest commercial 

water users in New Jersey. Ground-water withdrawals for commercial use in Warren County 

averaged 8 Mgal/d.

Withdrawals for irrigation use during 1991-92 averaged 123 Mgal/d 22 Mgal/d of ground 

water and 101 Mgal/d of surface water. Withdrawals in Burlington County, chiefly surface water 

for cranberry production, averaged 86 Mgal/d, accounting for about 70 percent of total 

withdrawals for irrigation use in the State. The largest average withdrawals of ground water for 

irrigation use were in Cumberland County (7 Mgal/d) and Atlantic County (6 Mgal/d).

Industrial water use in New Jersey averaged 342 Mgal/d during 1991-92, including groundwater withdrawals of 50 Mgal/d, surface-water withdrawals of 193 Mgal/d, and water deliveries 

from public suppliers of 99 Mgal/d. During 1991-92, average withdrawals for industrial use, 

chiefly of surface water, were 62 Mgal/d each in Gloucester and Warren Counties, and 32 Mgal/d 

in Hunterdon County.

During 1991-92, average withdrawals, chiefly of surface water, for mining use in New 

Jersey totaled 33 Mgal/d, including 4 Mgal/d of ground water and 29 Mgal/d of surface water. 

Withdrawals for mining use in Cumberland County averaged 11 Mgal/d. Average withdrawals of 

both ground water and surface water declined sharply during 1991-92 from the average 

withdrawals for mining use during 1989-90. This decrease is attributed to the closing of a mining 

facility that was the largest user of ground water and to reduced production at another mining 

facility that is the largest user of surface water.

Withdrawals for thermoelectric-power use in New Jersey averaged 532 Mgal/d during 

1991-92, including ground-water withdrawals of 2 Mgal/d, surface-water withdrawals of 

508 Mgal/d, and water deliveries from public suppliers of 22 Mgal/d. Surface-water withdrawals 

for thermoelectric-power use in Mercer County averaged 472 Mgal/d, the largest volume among 

the counties in the State. Withdrawals for thermoelectric-power use are chiefly nonconsumptive.

48
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55
GLOSSARY

Aquifer: A geologic formation, group of formations, or part of a formation that contains sufficient 

saturated permeable material to yield significant quantities of water to wells and springs.

Commercial use: Ground water or surface water withdrawn by commercial facilities, or delivered 

by public suppliers. Hotels, non-residential schools, retail stores, and shopping centers are 

examples of commercial users. Publicly operated fish hatcheries also are included in this 

category.

Domestic use: Ground water obtained from domestic wells and used for general household 

purposes, home landscaping, and recreation, and water delivered by public suppliers to 

residents for household use.

Establishment: An economic unit, generally within a single location, where business activities are 

conducted or where services or industrial activities are performed.

Freshwater: Water that contains less than 1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of dissolved solids; 

water containing more than 500 mg/L of dissolved solids is undesirable for drinking and 

many industrial uses.

Ground water: Subsurface water as distinct from surface water; specifically, that part of

subsurface water that is in the zone of saturation (an area in which voids are filled with 

water).

Hydrologic cataloging unit: A geographic area representing all or part of a surface drainage basin 

or a distinct hydrotogic feature. An eight-digit code and hydrologic unit name, assigned by 

the U.S. Geological Survey, provides a standardized base for locating, storing, retrieving, 

and exchanging hydrologic data.

Industrial use: Ground water or surface water withdrawn by industrial facilities or delivered by 

public suppliers. Examples of industrial establishments are facilities that manufacture 

chemical, steel, or paper products and facilities that refine petroleum.

Irrigation use: Ground water or surface water artificially applied to farm, orchard, and 

horticultural crops, and for landscaping (golf courses).

Mining use: Ground water or surface water withdrawn by mining facilities. Water is used in 

mineral extraction and quarrying, well operations (dewatering), and milling (crushing, 

screening, washing, and flotation).

Per capita use: The average amount of water used per person per day.

Public water use: Water supplied from a public supplier and used for municipal services such as 

administration buildings, schools, firefighting, street washing, and municipal parks and 

swimming pools.

56
GLOSSARY-Continued

Public supply: Ground water or surface water withdrawn by public and private water-supply 

systems and delivered to domestic, commercial, industrial, and other users.

Saline water: Water that contains more than 1,000 mg/L of dissolved solids. 

Surface water: An open body of water such as a river, stream, lake, or pond.

Thermoelectric-power use: Ground water or surface water (excluding saline water) withdrawn in 

the process of generating electricity with fossil fuel (coal, oil, or natural gas), geothermal, or 

nuclear energy. Water can be self-supplied or publicly supplied.

57