U.S. Geological Survey

Estimated use of water in the United States in 1990

TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                            Page                                     Page
                                            ----                                     ----
Glossary ...................................  v  |  Water use---Continued
Conversion factors ........................ vii  |    Offstream use---Continued
Abstract ...................................  1  |      Irrigation ..................  34
Introduction ...............................  2  |      Livestock ...................  38 
   Purpose and scope .......................  2  |      Industrial ..................  42
   Terminology .............................  3  |      Mining ......................  46
   Sources of data and methods of analysis .  3  |      Thermoelectric power ........  50
   Acknowledgments .........................  5  |    Instream use ..................  56 
Water use ..................................  6  |      Hydroelectric power .........  56    
   Offstream use ...........................  8  |    Wastewater Release ............  60
      Total water use ......................  8  |      Wastewater treatment ........  60
      Public supply ........................ 22  |  Trends in water use, 1950-90 ....  64
      Domestic ............................. 26  |  References cited  ...............  70
      Commercial ........................... 30  |  Selected water-use bibliography .  71

FIGURES

                                           Page                                              Page
                                           ----                                              ----
Map showing water-resources regions of the       |  Figures 16-17.  Irrigation, by---
    United States .......... Inside front cover  |    16. Water-resources region ............. 35
Figures 1-2.  Maps showing total water           |    17. Source and State ................... 36
               withdrawals, 1990, by---          |  18-19. Livestock, by---  
    1. Water-resources region ..............  9  |    18. Water resources region ............. 39 
    2. Source and State .................... 10  |    19. State .............................. 40
3-4.  Maps showing freshwater consumptive        |  20-22.  Industrial, by---
                            use, 1990, by---     |    20. Water-resources region ............. 43
    3. Water-resources region .............. 18  |    21-22. State ........................... 44
    4. State ............................... 18  |  23-25.  Mining, by---  
    5. Map showing intensity of freshwate        |    23. Water-resources region ............. 47 
   withdrawals per capita by State, 1990 ... 19  |    24-25. State ........................... 48
    6. Map showing intensity of freshwater       |  26-28.  Thermoelectric power, by---
      withdrawals per area by State, 1990 .. 19  |    26. Water-resources region ............. 51
    7. Diagram showing source, use, and          |    27-28. State ........................... 52 
      disposition of freshwater, 1990 ...... 21  |  29-30.  Maps showing hydroelectric power
8-23. Maps showing water withdrawals or use,     |              water use, 1990, by---
                            1990, for---         |    29. Water-resources region ............. 57
  8-9. Public supply, by---                      |    30. State .............................. 58  
    8. Water-resources region .............. 23  |  31-32.  Maps showing wastewater treatment  
    9.  Source and State ................... 24  |              return flow, 1990, by---  
10-12.  Domestic, by---                          |    31. Water-resources region ............. 61
   10. Water-resources region .............. 27  |    32. State .............................. 62 
   11-12.  State ........................... 28  |  33-34.  Graphs showing trends, 1950-90, for--  
13-15. Commercial, by---                         |    33.  Offstream and instream water uses . 68 
   13. Water-resources region .............. 31  |    34.  Water withdrawals by water-use 
   14-15. State ............................ 32  |            category ....................... 68

TABLES

                                                                           Page 
                                                                           ---- 
Tables 1-2.  Total offstream water use, 1990, by---
            1.  Water-resources region ....................................   9
            2.  State .....................................................  11
       3-4.  Total water withdrawals by water-use category, 1990, by---
            3.  Water-resources region ....................................  12
            4.  State .....................................................  13
       5-6.  Surface-water withdrawals by water-use category, 1990, by---
            5.  Water-resources region ....................................  14
            6.  State .....................................................  15
       7-8.  Ground-water withdrawals by water-use category, 1990, by---
            7.  Water-resources region ....................................  16
            8.  State .....................................................  17
      9-10. Public-supply freshwater use, 1990, by---
            9.  Water-resources region ....................................  23
           10.  State .....................................................  25
     11-12. Domestic freshwater use, 1990, by---
           11.  Water-resources region ....................................  27
           12.  State .....................................................  29
     13-14.  Commercial freshwater use, 1990, by---
           13.  Water-resources region ....................................  31
           14.  State .....................................................  33
     15-16.  Irrigation water use, 1990, by---
           15.  Water-resources region ....................................  35
           16.  State .....................................................  37
     17-18.  Livestock freshwater use, 1990, by---
           17.  Water-resources region ....................................  39
           18.  State .....................................................  41
     19-20.  Industrial water use, 1990, by---
           19.  Water-resources region ....................................  43
           20.  State .....................................................  45
     21-22.  Mining water use, 1990, by---
           21.  Water-resources region ....................................  47
           22.  State .....................................................  49
     23-24.  Thermoelectric power water use, 1990, by---
           23.  Water-resources region ....................................  51
           24.  State .....................................................  53
     25-26.  Thermoelectric power water use by energy source, 1990, by---
           25.  Water-resources region ....................................  54
           26.  State .....................................................  55
     27-28.  Hydroelectric power water use, 1990, by---
           27.  Water-resources region ....................................  57
           28.  State .....................................................  59
     29-30.  Wastewater treatment water releases, 1990, by---
           29.  Water-resources region ....................................  61
           30.  State .....................................................  63
       31.  Trends of estimated water use in the United States at 
              5-year intervals, 1950-90 ...................................  65