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<br />T
<br />
<br />ESTIMATED USE OF WATER
<br />IN THE UNITED STATES
<br />IN 1990
<br />
<br />By Wayne B. Solley, Robert R. Pierce, and Howard A Perlman
<br />ABSTRACT
<br />
<br />Water withdrawals in the United States during 1990 were estimated to average 408,000
<br />million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of freshwater and saline water for offstream uses-2 percent
<br />more than the 1985 estimate. Total freshwater withdrawals were an estimated 339,000 Mgal/d
<br />during 1990, about the same as during 1985. Average per-capita use for all offstream uses was
<br />1,620 gallons per day (gal/d) of freshwater and saline water combined and 1,340 gal/d of
<br />fresh water.
<br />Offstream water-use categories are classified in this report as public supply, domestic,
<br />commercial, irrigation, livestock, industrial, mining, and thermoelectric power. During 1990,
<br />public-supply withdrawals were an estimated 38,500 Mgal/d, and self-supplied withdrawals
<br />were estimated as follows: domestic, 3,390 Mgal/d; commercial, 2,390 Mgal/d; irrigation,
<br />137,000 Mgal/d; livestock, 4,500 Mgal/d; industrial, 22,600 Mgal/d, of which 3,270 Mgalld
<br />was saline water; mining, 4,960 Mgal/d, of which 1,650 Mgal/d was saline; and thermoelectric
<br />power, 195,000 Mgal/d, of which 64,500 Mgal/d was saline.
<br />Water use for hydroelectric power generation, the only instream use compiled in this
<br />report, was estimated to be 3,290,000 Mgal/d during 1990, or 8 percent more than during 1985
<br />and about the same as estimated for 1975 and 1980.
<br />Estimates of withdrawals by source indicate that during 1990, total surface-water
<br />withdrawals were 327,000 Mgal/d, or 1 percent more than during 1985, and total ground-water
<br />withdrawals were 80,600 Mgal/d, or 9 percent more than during 1985. Total saline-water
<br />withdrawals during 1990 were 69,400 Mgal/d, or 15 percem more than during 1985, most of
<br />which was saline surface water. Reclaimed wastewater averaged about 750 Mgal/d during
<br />1990, or 30 percent more than during 1985.
<br />Total freshwater consumptive use was an estimated 94,000 Mgal/d during 1990, or
<br />2 percent more than during 1985. Consumptive use by irrigation accounted for the larges1 part
<br />of total consumptive use, and was an estimated 76,200 Mgal/d. Freshwater consumptive use in
<br />the East (water-resources regions east of and including the Mississippi regions) was about
<br />12 percent of freshwater withdrawn in the East and accounted for only 21 percent of the
<br />Nation's total consumptive use, By comparison, freshwater consumptive use in the West was
<br />about 44 percent of the freshwater withdrawn in the West.
<br />The 1990 estimates of total freshwater withdrawals and consumptive use were jus1 slight,
<br />Iy more than the 1985 estimates but substantially less than the 1980 estimates; this is consistent
<br />with the general trend indicated by a slackening in the rate of increase of total withdrawals from
<br />1970 to 1975 and again from 1975 to 1980, and a decrease in total withdrawals from 1980 to
<br />1985. Public-supply withdrawals during 1990 were 5 percen1 more than during 1985, and self-
<br />supplied withdrawals during 1990 compared to 1985 were as follows: domestic, 2 percent
<br />more; commercial, 95 percent more; irrigation, 0.3 percem less; livestock, 0.8 percent more;
<br />industrial, 13 percen11ess; mining, 44 percent more; and thermoelectric power, 4 percent more.
<br />A comparison of toW withdrawals (fresh, saline) by State indicates that 20 States and the
<br />District of Columbia had less water withdrawn for offstream uses during 1990 than during
<br />1985. California accounted for the mos1 water withdrawn for offstream use, 46,800 Mgal/d,
<br />more than the total of water withdrawn in both Texas or Idaho, the nex11argest user>. A similar
<br />comparison by water-resources regions indicates that the coastal regions (New England, Mid
<br />Atlantic, South Atlantic-Gulf, Pacific Northwest, California) accounted for nearly one-half of
<br />the total water wi1hdrawn in 1he United States. Total withdrawals in the East accounted for
<br />54 percent of the Nation's total withdrawals, the same as during 1985.
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