In most of Texas today, there is little excess water storage capacity in reservoirs to meet water demands during critical periods of drought. Further, in many areas of the state where water is obtained from wells, the annual withdrawal of water is greater than the annual recharge. According to a recent study published by the Texas Water Development Board, now a division of the Texas Department of Water Resources, the amount of water which can be withdrawn from existing surface reservoirs and aquifers without exceeding the firm and safe yields is 14.9 million acre feet per year. The present annual usage, approximately 23 million acre feet per year, is well above this safe yield.
Water use is the total amount of water withdrawn to supply a process.
Water consumption refers to that amount of the water intake which is depleted or lost through evaporation, chemical conversion or other means. This distinction is important when analyzing water demands of an industry such as electric generation.