Source, use, and disposition of water in Florida, 1975

On the average, 18,420 million gallons of water was withdrawn for use in Florida each day in 1975--an increase of 3,107 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) rate since 1970. The 1975 daily total was made up of 11,502 million gallons of saline water and 6,918 million gallons of freshwater. The saline water supply, largely surface water, was pumped from tidal estuaries. Only 95.3 Mgal/d--less than 1 percent--was obtained from wells. The freshwater supply was almost equally divided between surface water (52 percent) and ground water (48 percent). Virtually all the saline water was used for thermoelectric power generation. Only 63 Mgal/d of saline water was used for all other industrial purposes. The largest user of the freshwater was for irrigation--2,868 Mgal/d. The remaining use of freshwater amounted to 1,698 Mgal/d for thermoelectric power generation; 1 ,146 Mgal/d for public supply; 940 Mgal/d for industrial use other than thermoelectric power generation; and 266 Mgal/d for rural domestic and livestock use. Irrigation, the largest user of freshwater, also is responsible for the greatest consumption, 1,332 Mgal/d or about half the water applied. Included in the quantity of water consumed by irrigation is that part of the conveyance loss made up of evapotranspiration--estimated at 109 Mgal/d. The remainder of the conveyance loss is returned to the ground water reservoir for reuse by seepage from the canals. (Woodard-USGS)