Background
The U.S. Geological Survey has compiled the Nation's water-use data at the county, State, and national levels every 5 years between 1950 and 2015. A summary for New England is presented on this web page.
Water use estimates for 2000 through 2020 are now available for the three largest categories of use in the United States: self-supplied thermoelectric power generation, self-supplied irrigation, and public supply. Five additional categories of use (self-supplied industrial, domestic, mining, livestock, and aquaculture) will be available in 2025.
Approach
- USGS water-use compilations are one of the few sources of information about national and regional trends in water withdrawals.
- The New England WSC collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in New England from different sources (groundwater and surface water in both fresh and saline settings) as a part of the national effort.
- Our WSC collected site-specific and aggregated water-use information for each county in New England.
- The New England WSC complied and estimated water use at the county level for eight water-use categories: thermoelectric, public supply, domestic, livestock, mi
Water Issues
New England States are fortunate to have abundant freshwater resources.
Annual precipitation averages place the New England States in the top half of the wettest States in the United States.
However, as populations have grown (11.4 percent between 1990 and 2015), freshwater resources have come under significant stress in many areas, particularly during periods of drought.
Stresses have been partially offset by declining rates of water withdrawals between 1990 and 2015. The steepest declines occurred in the most populous States — Massachusetts and Connecticut.
New England States Water-Use Websites
Because public information searches most frequently are for individual States, the New England WSC has prepared a web page on water use for each state:
New England Water Use, 2015 story
Water Use in the United States
Water use estimates for 2000 through 2020 are now available for the three largest categories of use in the United States: self-supplied thermoelectric power generation, self-supplied irrigation, and public supply. Five additional categories of use (self-supplied industrial, domestic, mining, livestock, and aquaculture) will be available in 2025.
More info on the Water Use in the United States web page.
Below are links to the USGS national water-use website and water-use web pages for the New England states.
Water Use in the United States
Connecticut Water Use
Maine Water Use
Massachusetts Water Use
New Hampshire Water Use
Rhode Island Water Use
Vermont Water Use
Below are FAQ related to water use.
Is saline water used for anything?
In the U.S., about 13 percent of all water used is saline water . But saline water can only be used for certain purposes. The main use is for thermoelectric power-plant cooling. About 5 percent of water used for industrial purposes is saline, and about 53 percent of all water used for mining purposes is saline. Saline water can be desalinated for use as drinking water by putting it through a...
How much natural water is there?
Earth is estimated to hold about 1,386,000,000 cubic kilometers of water. The breakdown of where all that water resides is estimated as follows: Oceans (saline) 1,338,000,000 cubic kilometers Ice caps and glaciers (fresh) 24,064,000 cubic kilometers Groundwater (fresh and saline) 23,400,000 cubic kilometers Streams, lakes, swamps (fresh) 104,590 cubic kilometers Lakes (saline) 85,400 cubic...
How much water is used by people in the United States?
Since 1950, the USGS has collected and analyzed water-use data for the United States and its Territories . That data is revised every 5 years. As of 2015, the United States uses 322 billion gallons of water per day (Bgal/day). The three largest water-use categories were irrigation (118 Bgal/day), thermoelectric power (133 Bgal/day), and public supply (39 Bgal/day), cumulatively accounting for 90...
What is the Earth's "water cycle?"
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes where water is stored on Earth and how it moves. Water is stored in the atmosphere, on the land surface, and below the ground. It can be a liquid, a solid, or a gas. Liquid water can be fresh or saline (salty). Water moves between the places it is stored. It moves at large scales (through watersheds, the atmosphere, and below the Earth...
Background
The U.S. Geological Survey has compiled the Nation's water-use data at the county, State, and national levels every 5 years between 1950 and 2015. A summary for New England is presented on this web page.
Water use estimates for 2000 through 2020 are now available for the three largest categories of use in the United States: self-supplied thermoelectric power generation, self-supplied irrigation, and public supply. Five additional categories of use (self-supplied industrial, domestic, mining, livestock, and aquaculture) will be available in 2025.
Approach
- USGS water-use compilations are one of the few sources of information about national and regional trends in water withdrawals.
- The New England WSC collected, reviewed, and aggregated water withdrawal data in New England from different sources (groundwater and surface water in both fresh and saline settings) as a part of the national effort.
- Our WSC collected site-specific and aggregated water-use information for each county in New England.
- The New England WSC complied and estimated water use at the county level for eight water-use categories: thermoelectric, public supply, domestic, livestock, mi
Water Issues
New England States are fortunate to have abundant freshwater resources.
Annual precipitation averages place the New England States in the top half of the wettest States in the United States.
However, as populations have grown (11.4 percent between 1990 and 2015), freshwater resources have come under significant stress in many areas, particularly during periods of drought.
Stresses have been partially offset by declining rates of water withdrawals between 1990 and 2015. The steepest declines occurred in the most populous States — Massachusetts and Connecticut.
New England States Water-Use Websites
Because public information searches most frequently are for individual States, the New England WSC has prepared a web page on water use for each state:
New England Water Use, 2015 story
Water Use in the United States
Water use estimates for 2000 through 2020 are now available for the three largest categories of use in the United States: self-supplied thermoelectric power generation, self-supplied irrigation, and public supply. Five additional categories of use (self-supplied industrial, domestic, mining, livestock, and aquaculture) will be available in 2025.
More info on the Water Use in the United States web page.
Below are links to the USGS national water-use website and water-use web pages for the New England states.
Water Use in the United States
Connecticut Water Use
Maine Water Use
Massachusetts Water Use
New Hampshire Water Use
Rhode Island Water Use
Vermont Water Use
Below are FAQ related to water use.
Is saline water used for anything?
In the U.S., about 13 percent of all water used is saline water . But saline water can only be used for certain purposes. The main use is for thermoelectric power-plant cooling. About 5 percent of water used for industrial purposes is saline, and about 53 percent of all water used for mining purposes is saline. Saline water can be desalinated for use as drinking water by putting it through a...
How much natural water is there?
Earth is estimated to hold about 1,386,000,000 cubic kilometers of water. The breakdown of where all that water resides is estimated as follows: Oceans (saline) 1,338,000,000 cubic kilometers Ice caps and glaciers (fresh) 24,064,000 cubic kilometers Groundwater (fresh and saline) 23,400,000 cubic kilometers Streams, lakes, swamps (fresh) 104,590 cubic kilometers Lakes (saline) 85,400 cubic...
How much water is used by people in the United States?
Since 1950, the USGS has collected and analyzed water-use data for the United States and its Territories . That data is revised every 5 years. As of 2015, the United States uses 322 billion gallons of water per day (Bgal/day). The three largest water-use categories were irrigation (118 Bgal/day), thermoelectric power (133 Bgal/day), and public supply (39 Bgal/day), cumulatively accounting for 90...
What is the Earth's "water cycle?"
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes where water is stored on Earth and how it moves. Water is stored in the atmosphere, on the land surface, and below the ground. It can be a liquid, a solid, or a gas. Liquid water can be fresh or saline (salty). Water moves between the places it is stored. It moves at large scales (through watersheds, the atmosphere, and below the Earth...