We all know that the United States uses up a ton of water. But just how do we use all of that water? When most people think of water uses, the first one that comes to mind is drinking. However, other overlooked water uses consume as much—or much more—water than drinking.
- 8. Livestock
(2,140 Mgal/d)
To raise livestock like chickens, cows and horses, we need to provide water to these animals. Livestock water uses include growing the grass the animals eat, quenching their thirst, cooling them, washing away their waste, and fulfilling other ranching needs. We also use water in the food production of eggs, meats, poultry, and milk. Livestock water uses account for about 0.5% of all the water withdrawn in the United States.
- 7. Domestic Water Use
(3,830 Mgal/d)
Domestic water use is our usage of water inside of our homes. We use water around our homes for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing, landscaping, and a host of other purposes. We acquire domestic water from municipal or private water departments or from our own water supplies, like wells. However, the vast majority of Americans (about 86%), get their water from public supplies, and this number continues to grow as more and more people move to urban areas. Domestic water uses account for about 1% of US water use.
- 6. Mining
(4,020 Mgal/d)
Mining water is the water used in mining processes to extract minerals like coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Water can be used in quarrying, washing, and various other mining operations. Mining water withdrawals account for another 1% of total US water use.
- 5. Aquaculture
(8,780 Mgal/d)
Aquaculture is fish farming, the source of most American seafood. Aquaculture farmers grow fish populations in large ponds. While aquaculture primarily raises aquatic creatures for food, it can also raise aquatic creatures for conservation and sport. Fortunately, most aquaculture water withdrawals are returned to the environment afterward. Aquaculture accounts for 2% of US water use.
- 4. Industrial
(18,200 Mgal/d)
Industries that make metals, wood products, chemicals, gasoline, oils and the like also use a lot of water. Almost all manufactured products are made using water at some point, as for processing, washing, cooling, sanitizing, or diluting. The food, paper, chemical, and petroleum industries are particularly notable industrial water users. Industrial water use accounts for about 4% of all US water use.
- 3. Public Supply
(44,200 Mgal/d)
Public supply is the water withdrawn by public and private water suppliers. This water is given to people for domestic, commercial, and industrial reasons. All civilizations need plans for getting, using, and disposing of water. Public supplies are the organizations that acquire, clean and deliver water to locals. County and city water departments support populations by withdrawing water from various sources and delivering it to us in our homes, businesses, and schools. 86% of the United States population gets water from public supplies. Public supply accounts for about 11% of US water use.
- 2. Irrigation
(128,000 Mgal/d)
We use enormous amounts of water to grow crops. The fruits, vegetables and grains that our diets depend on need water to grow. For this reason, after drinking, irrigation is probably the most important of all water uses. However, only one half of the water used for irrigation is reusable. The rest of this water is lost to evaporation, transpiration, or human mismanagement. Irrigation accounts for about 31% of US water use.
- 1. Thermoelectric power
(201,000 Mgal/d)
Of all the water uses in the United States, thermoelectric power production is by far the largest. Thermoelectric power production uses water as a coolant to run through heated turbines. However, as water cools the turbines, the water itself is heated. If this heated water is released back into the environment, it can create thermal pollution. The water used for thermoelectric power comprises a whopping 49% of all the water used in the United States.
