WSP05686

• File Number: 8064
• Description: Section "D" General Federal Issues/Policies - Indian Water Rights
• Date: 10/14/1983
• Title: Water Conservation and Western Water Resource Management ‎(Draft)‎
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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I.

Municipal and Industrial Use

Municipal and industrial water use accounts for roughly half

of the total water withdrawals in the Nation, but only about 167-

of total consumption. Though this represents a relatively small

percentage of national water consumption, its importance is obvious.

It includes both urban and rural domestic use, commercial use,

and use in manufacturing, steam electric generation and minerals

industries. As the illustration on page shows, municipal and

industrial water may be withdrawn' from surface streams, reservoirs

or ground water. The latter accounts for about half of the drinking

water supplies in the Nation. As with agricultural usage, most

of the water withdrawn for municipal and industrial purposes is

returned to the hydrologic cycle. Water is returned to the hydrologic

cycle through delivery system leaks, (which are a major problem

in older systems), deep percolation, municipal effluent flows and

industrial process water outfalls. All these are recoverable losses.

Irrecoverable losses would include human consumption and evaporation

in indus trial use, particularly- coo 1 ing tower ~los se s in stear.'l electric

power generation. rhe latter may be significantly reduced, depending

on the availability and cost of water.

Water conservation measures serve various management objectives.
In some cases, permanent water use reduction may be possible. However,
conservation measures can not generally meet growth related demands
forever. Municipal and industrial water conservation measures
are particularly useful in managing drought, termporary supply
shortfalls and peak water use demands. Other related benefits

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