How We Use Water
How We Use Water
Water Use in the United States
Integrated Water Availability Assessments (IWAAs)
Water Availability and Use Science Program: National Water Census
USGS announces 10 IWAAs pilot projects
Supporting the development of national and regional Integrated Water Availability Assessments
Supporting the development of national and regional Integrated Water Availability Assessments
Find water science information and activities related to the different ways we use water.
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National Water Availability Assessments
The USGS National Water Availability Assessment consists of reports, which provide a scientific summary and interpretation of water quantity, quality and use, and the data companion, which delivers model-based estimates of water supply and demand.
Regional Water Availability Assessments
Regional Water Availability Assessments are scientific assessments of water availability in different hydrologic regions across the Nation. They are designed to capture a range of conditions in major drivers of water availability.
Integrated Water Availability Assessments
The USGS Water Resources Mission Area is assessing how much water is available for human and ecological needs in the United States and identifying where and when the Nation may have challenges meeting its demand for water.
Integrated Water Availability Assessments Fundamentals
The USGS Water Resources Mission Area is assessing how much water is available for human and ecological needs in the United States and identifying where and when the Nation may have challenges meeting its demand for water.
National Water Availability Assessment Data Companion
The National Water Availability Assessment Data Companion (NWDC) delivers model-based estimates of water supply and demand.
Withdrawals for Bottled Water
USGS is compiling data on locations and volumes of water withdrawals for bottled water production and learning how, when, and where bottled water withdrawals result in changes to groundwater levels, spring flows, and water quality.
Centennial Streamgages
Centennial Streamgages are USGS streamgages that have been in operation for more than 100 years.
Integrated Water Science Basins: Willamette River
The Willamette River Basin reflects the conflicting water demands between humans and ecosystems—particularly salmon— and the challenge resource managers face throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Water-Quality Benchmarks for Contaminants
How does the water quality measure up? It all depends on what the water will be used for and what contaminants are of interest. Water-quality benchmarks are designed to protect drinking water, recreation, aquatic life, and wildlife. Here you’ll find links to some of the most widely used sets of water, sediment, and fish tissue benchmarks and general guidance about their interpretation.
National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Water Node
Get access to spatial datasets related to water through the NSDI node on ScienceBase.
Water Use
Through the Water Availability and Use Science Program, USGS will provide national information on withdrawal, conveyance, consumptive use, and return flow by water-use category at spatial and temporal resolutions important for risk-informed water management decisions. Water-use data provide a foundation for water managers to analyze trends over time, plan more strategically, identify, and...
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.