U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2018-3035

June 2018

Summary of Estimated Water Use in the United States in 2015

Public supply 39.0

Self-supply 

domestic 3.26

Irrigation 118

Livestock 2.00

Aquaculture 7.55

Self-supplied

industrial 14.8

Mining 4.00

Thermoelectric 

power 133

2015 withdrawals by category,

in billion gallons per day

• Total withdrawals in 2015, were 322 billion gallons per day 

(Bgal/d), resulting in a 9 percent decrease since 2010

• Since 2010, population increased 4 percent and total 

domestic use decreased 3 percent, which reduced percapita use to 82 gallons per day

• Consumptive use accounted for 62 percent of water 

used for irrigation, and 3 percent of water used for 

thermoelectric power in 2015

• Withdrawals for thermoelectric power, irrigation, and public 

supply accounted for 90 percent of total withdrawals in 2015

A total of 322 Bgal/d of water withdrawals was reported 

for eight categories of use in the United States in 2015, which 

was 9 percent less than in 2010 (354 Bgal/d), and continued a 

declining trend since 2005. The decline in total withdrawals in 

2015 primarily was caused by significant decreases (28.8 Bgal/d) 

in thermoelectric power, which accounted for 89 percent of 

the decrease in total withdrawals. Between 2010 and 2015, 

withdrawals decreased in all categories except irrigation 

(2 percent increase), mining (1 percent increase), and livestock 

(no change). Fresh surface-water withdrawals (198 Bgal/d) were

14 percent less than in 2010, and fresh groundwater withdrawals 

(82.3 Bgal/d) were about 8 percent more than in 2010. Saline 

surface-water withdrawals (38.6 Bgal/d) were 14 percent less 

than in 2010, and saline groundwater withdrawals (2.34 Bgal/d) 

were 5 percent more than in 2010. Total population in the United 

States in 2015 (325 million) increased by 4 percent (12.4 million) 

from 2010, which was similar to the increase between 2005 

and 2010. For the first time since 1995, consumptive use for 

irrigation and thermoelectric power were reported. Consumptive 

use accounted for 62 percent (73.2 Bgal/d) of water used 

for irrigation, and 3 percent (4.31 Bgal/d) of water used for 

thermoelectric power in 2015. 

Water Use by Category

Withdrawals for thermoelectric power, irrigation and public 

supply accounted for 90 percent of total withdrawals in the 

United States. Withdrawals by category and State, arranged 

from west to east (fig. 1) indicate the general geographical 

pattern of water use across the country. Thermoelectricpower withdrawals were prominent in the east and irrigation 

withdrawals were prominent in the west. Public-supply 

withdrawals are greatest in the states with the largest 

population centers.

Withdrawals for public supply were about 12 percent 

(39.0 Bgal/d) of total withdrawals, and 61 percent of publicsupply withdrawals were from surface-water sources. 

Public-supply systems deliver water to domestic, industrial, 

commercial, and other users, and 60 percent of public-supply 

withdrawals provided 87 percent of the United States population 

(283 million) for domestic indoor and outdoor residential uses. 

Other residences are self-supplied from wells or other sources; 

these withdrawals were about 1 percent (3.26 Bgal/d) of total 

withdrawals and provided water to about 13 percent (42.5 million) 

of the United States population. Groundwater was used for 

98 percent of the self-supplied domestic withdrawals. 

Withdrawals for irrigation were 37 percent (118 Bgal/d) of 

total withdrawals, and 42 percent of freshwater withdrawals. 

Lands irrigated with sprinkler or micro-irrigation systems 

accounted for 63 percent of total irrigated lands. Surface water 

supplied about 52 percent of the total irrigation withdrawals. The 

17 conterminous Western States accounted for 81 percent of 

total irrigation withdrawals, and 74 percent of the total irrigated 

lands in the United States. 

Withdrawals for livestock and aquaculture combined were 

3 percent of the total withdrawals for all categories in 2015. 

Total withdrawals for livestock were 2.00 Bgal/d and 62 percent 

was from groundwater. Total withdrawals for aquaculture were 

7.55 Bgal/d and 79 percent were from surface water.

Self-supplied industrial withdrawals were almost 5 percent 

(14.8 Bgal/d) of total withdrawals, and surface water provided 

82 percent. Withdrawals for mining were about 1 percent 

(4.00 Bgal/d) of total withdrawals, and groundwater supplied 

72 percent, mostly (65 percent) from saline water.

Water used for thermoelectric power accounted for 41 

percent of total withdrawals (133 Bgal/d), and surface water 

supplied almost all withdrawals; 72 percent of the surfacewater withdrawals were freshwater. Powerplants that used 

once-through cooling systems accounted for 96 percent of all 

thermoelectric-power withdrawals. More than 25 percent of 

thermoelectric-power withdrawals and power production was in 

Texas, Florida, Illinois, and Michigan. 
Water Use Trends, 1950-2015

Every 5 years since 1950, the U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) has compiled and estimated water-use information in 

cooperation with State, Federal, and local agencies, making 

it possible to evaluate water-use trends through time. Total 

withdrawals steadily increased from 1950 (180 Bgal/d) to the 

peak in 1980 (430 Bgal/d), declined in 1985 (397 Bgal/d), and then 

remained fairly steady until 2005 (410 Bgal/d). The sharp decline 

in 2010 (354 Bgal/d) has continued through 2015 (322 Bgal/d). 

Total withdrawals for 2015 were lower than 1970, and were 

about the same as 1965 (310 Bgal/d). Thermoelectric-power 

withdrawals increased from 1950 to 1980, then fluctuated slightly 

through 2005, and since 2005 have declined sharply because of 

increased efficiency and closures of plants with once-through 

cooling systems. Irrigation withdrawals steadily increased from 

1950 to 1980, when they peaked (150 Bgal/d), then remained 

steady through 2005 (127 Bgal/d), declined in 2010 (116 Bgal/d) 

and slightly increased in 2015 (118 Bgal/d). The trend toward 

using more efficient irrigation systems continued with 10 

percent more irrigated lands using sprinkler systems (including 

micro-irrigation) in 2015 than in 2010; lands using surface 

(flood) irrigation systems decreased by 11 percent. Although 

population within the United States has steadily increased since 

1950, public-supply withdrawals have varied. Public-supply 

withdrawals gradually increased from 1950 (14 Bgal/d), to a 

peak in 2005 (44.4 Bgal/d), decreased for the first time in 2010 

(42.0 Bgal/d), and have continued to decrease at 7 percent in 

2015 (39.0 Bgal/d). Less water was used for domestic purposes 

in 2015 than in 2010, which resulted in a decrease of the total 

domestic per-capita use rate from 88 gallons per capita per 

day (GPCD) in 2010, to 82 GPCD in 2015. Trends for combined 

categories of industrial, mining, aquaculture, livestock, and 

commercial (reported from 1985 to 1995), show that total 

combined withdrawals were steady from 1950 to 1985, then 

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

Hawaii Alaska

Oregon

Washington

California Nevada Idaho

ArizonaUtah

Montana

Wyoming

New Mexico Colorado

North Dakota

South Dakota Nebraska Texas

Kansas

Oklahoma

MinnesotaIowa

Missouri

Louisiana Arkansas

Wisconsin

Mississippi

Illinois

Alabama

Tennessee Indiana

Kentucky

Michigan Georgia

Ohio

Florida South Carolina West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia Pennsylvania

MarylandD.C. New York Delaware

New Jersey

Connecticut Vermont Massachusetts

Rhode Island

New Hampshire Maine Puerto Rico

U.S. Virgin Islands

Total withdrawals, in million gallons per day

WEST EAST

Public supply

Other

Irrigation

Industrial

Thermoelectric 

 power

EXPLANATION

Figure 1. Withdrawals by category in 2015. States are arranged geographically from west to east. Units are in million gallons per day 

(Mgal/d); 1 billion gallon per day is equal to 1,000 Mgal/d. 

decreased in 1985, mostly because of large decreases in 

industrial withdrawals between 1980 and 1985. This decreasing 

trend has continued until 2015, even though livestock, mining, 

and aquaculture uses have increased over time.

Importance of Water-Use Data for the 

United States

The most recent USGS publication of water-use data that is 

part of the series of reports that began in 1950, and is the basis 

of this summary, is USGS Circular 1441, “Estimated use of water 

in the United States in 2015” (Dieter and others, 2018) along with 

a data release (Dieter and others, 2017). Federal, State, and local 

agencies have a key role in the collection and dissemination 

of water-use data. By compiling and publishing water-use 

estimates for the Nation, the USGS provides water-resource 

planners with the information needed to address issues related 

to water-resource allocation and environmental effects at 

National, regional, and State levels. Water-use data also is a key 

component of the water-budget approach for the National Water 

Census (http://water.usgs.gov/watercensus), which is a primary 

effort of the USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program 

(https://www.usgs.gov/science/mission-areas/water/wateravailability-and-use-science-program) that includes research to 

improve methods of collection and estimation of water-use data.

References Cited

Dieter, C.A., Linsey, K.S., Caldwell, R.R., Harris, M.A., Ivahnenko, T.I., 

Lovelace, J.K., Maupin, M.A., and Barber, N.L., 2017, Estimated use of water 

in the United States county-level data for 2015: U.S. Geological Survey data 

release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7TB15V5.

Dieter, C.A., Maupin, M.A., Caldwell, R.R., Harris, M.A., Ivahnenko, T.I., 

Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2018, Estimated use of water 

in the United States in 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1441, 65 p., 

https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1441.

By Molly A. Maupin

For More Information

For more information concerning this publication, contact:

USGS National Water-Use Science Project Team

wu-info@usgs.gov

Or visit the USGS Water-Use Web site at:

http://water.usgs.gov/watuse ISSN 2327-6932 (online)

https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20183035