Map of the U.S. by state, showing total water withdrawals, 2015
Groundwater Use in the U.S.
Water Use Information by Topic
Groundwater Information by Topic
Water Science School Home
Groundwater is one of our most valuable resource—even though you probably never see it or even realize it is there. Groundwater is essential for irrigation and human use in many parts of the country. The use of groundwater in the United States in 2015 is described below.
• Water Science School HOME • Groundwater topics • Water Use topics •
Groundwater serves many purposes
Fresh groundwater was used for many important purposes, with the largest amount going toward irrigating crops, such as the delicious eggplants, squash, and rutabagas that children love to have for dinner. Local city and county water departments withdraw a lot of groundwater for public uses, such as for delivery to homes, businesses, and industries, as well as for community uses such as fire fighting, water services at public buildings, and for keeping local residents happy by keeping community swimming pools full of water. Industries and mining facilities also used a lot of groundwater. The majority of water used for self-supplied domestic (people who supply their own home water, usually by a well) and livestock purposes came from groundwater sources.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
This diagram uses a "cylinder and pipe" layout to show the source (surface water or groundwater) of the Nation's freshwater and for what purposes the water was used in 2015. The data are broken out for each category of use by surface water and groundwater as the source.
Data are rounded and are reported in million gallons per day (Mgal/d).
The top row of cylinders represents where America's freshwater came from (source) in 2015, either from surface water (blue) or from groundwater (brown). You can see most of the water we use came from surface-water sources, such as rivers and lakes. About 26 percent of water used came from groundwater. The pipes leading out of the surface-water and groundwater cylinders on the top row and flowing into the bottom rows of cylinders (green) show the categories of water use where the water was sent after being withdrawn from a river, lake, reservoir, or well.
For example, the blue pipe coming out of the surface-water cylinder and entering the public supply cylinder shows that 23,800 Mgal/d of water was withdrawn from surface-water sources for public-supply uses (you probably get your water this way). Likewise, the brown pipe shows that public-suppliers withdrew another 15,200 Mgal/d of water from groundwater sources.
Each green cylinder represents a category of water use. The industrial cylinder, for instance, shows how much groundwater, surface water, and total water was used in the United States, each day, by industries.
You can see that although the Nation uses much more surface water than groundwater, groundwater has significant importance for some of the categories. Almost all self-supplied domestic water came from groundwater; over 40 percent of irrigation water was groundwater; and more groundwater than surface water was used for livestock purposes.
Groundwater withdrawals, by State, 2015
Of the total fresh groundwater withdrawals nationwide (82,300 Mgal/d), irrigation accounted for 70 percent, primarily in California, Arkansas, Nebraska, Idaho, and Texas. Fresh groundwater irrigation withdrawals in these five States cumulatively accounted for 46 percent of the total fresh groundwater withdrawals for all categories nationwide. Nearly all groundwater withdrawals (97 percent) were from freshwater, predominantly used for irrigation. Saline groundwater withdrawals were predominantly used for mining (80 percent) and occurred in Texas, California, and Oklahoma. Irrigation used greater than three times more fresh groundwater than public supply, which was the next largest use of fresh groundwater in the Nation.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Groundwater withdrawals for the United States, 1950-2015. (Data are in billion gallons per day (Bgal/d)
| Year | Fresh | Saline |
| 1950 | 34 | (c) |
| 1955 | 47 | 0.6 |
| 1960 | 50 | 0.4 |
| 1965 | 60 | 0.5 |
| 1970 | 68 | 1 |
| 1975 | 82 | 1 |
| 1980 | 83 | 0.93 |
| 1985 | 73.4 | 0.66 |
| 1990 | 79.4 | 1.30a |
| 1995 | 76.4a | 1.11 |
| 2000 | 84.3a | 2.47a |
| 2005 | 78.9 | 1.51 |
| 2010 | 75.9a | 2.22a |
| 2015 | 82.3 | 2.34 |
a Data revised from Maupin and others (2014) because of revisions to individual State data during interim years
(c) Data not available
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Want to learn more about groundwater use in the United States? Follow me to the USGS Groundwater Use website!
Below are science topics related to groundwater use.
Freshwater Withdrawals in the United States
The freshwater in the Nation's rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, reservoirs, and in underground aquifers are vitally important to our everyday life, and, indeed, to all life on Earth.
Filter Total Items: 17
Groundwater True/False Quiz
How much do you know about the water below your feet? Take our Groundwater True/False Quiz and find out.
Groundwater Information by Topic
Groundwater is one of our most valuable resources—even though you probably never see it or even realize it is there. There is water somewhere beneath your feet no matter where on Earth you live. Groundwater starts as precipitation, just as surface water does, and once water penetrates the ground, it continues moving, sometimes quickly and sometimes very slowly. Eventually groundwater emerges back...
Groundwater Storage and the Water Cycle
The ground stores huge amounts of water and it exists to some degree no matter where on Earth you are. Lucky for people, in many places the water exists in quantities and at depths that wells can be drilled into the water-bearing aquifers and withdrawn to server the many needs people have.
Trends in Water Use in the United States, 1950 to 2015
How has America's water use changed over the last 65 years? Are we using more or less water, and are there trends for different kinds of water use?
Thermoelectric Power Water Use
Much of the electricity used in the United States and worldwide comes from thermoelectric power plants. This type of production includes fuels such as coal, oil, gas-fired, nuclear, and other lesser-used methods, such as geothermal and burning waste material. Production of electrical power results in one of the largest uses of water in the United States and worldwide. Water for thermoelectric...
Surface Water Use in the United States
The Nation's surface-water resources—the water in the nation's rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, and reservoirs—are vitally important to our everyday life.
Public Supply Water Use
It is likely the water you use at home is brought to you by a public water-supply system. These are agencies, such as your local county government, that find and get the water that is delivered to not only your home, but to many businesses and industries. Most of the population of the United States gets their water this way.
Aquaculture Water Use
As the label in the grocery store says, " Farm Raised Tilapia Fillets " are for sale! Yes, aquaculture and fish farming are big businesses nowadays, and with the rising population of the world, more and more seafood will be grown in the future in aquatic farms.
Livestock Water Use
Livestock water use is water associated with livestock watering, feedlots, dairy operations, and other on-farm needs.
Irrigation Water Use
Throughout the world, irrigation (water for agriculture, or growing crops) is probably the most important use of water (except for drinking and washing a smelly dog, perhaps). Irrigation water is essential for keeping fruits, vegetables, and grains growing to feed the world's population, and this has been a constant for thousands of years.
Domestic Water Use
Domestic water use is water used for indoor and outdoor household purposes— all the things you do at home: drinking, preparing food, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, brushing your teeth, watering the garden, and even washing the dog. At the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), domestic water use refers to the amount of water that is "self-supplied", or water withdrawn directly by users, such as from...
Industrial Water Use
The industries that produce metals, wood and paper products, chemicals, gasoline and oils, and those invaluable grabber utensils you use to get your ring (which also needed water to manufacture) out of the garbage disposal are major users of water.
Below are multimedia items associated with groundwater use.
Map of the U.S. by state, showing total water withdrawals, 2015
Map of the U.S. by state, showing total water withdrawals, 2015
Bar chart showing use of water in 2015, by state and category of use
Bar chart showing use of water in 2015, by state and category of use
Bar chart showing use of water in 2015, by state and category of use
Source and use of water in the U.S. in 2015
Source and Use of Water in the United States, 2015
This diagram uses a "cylinder and pipe" layout to show the source (surface water or groundwater) of the Nation's water and for what purposes the water was used in 2015. The data are broken out for each category of use by surface water and groundwater as the source.
Source and Use of Water in the United States, 2015
This diagram uses a "cylinder and pipe" layout to show the source (surface water or groundwater) of the Nation's water and for what purposes the water was used in 2015. The data are broken out for each category of use by surface water and groundwater as the source.
Groundwater is one of our most valuable resource—even though you probably never see it or even realize it is there. Groundwater is essential for irrigation and human use in many parts of the country. The use of groundwater in the United States in 2015 is described below.
• Water Science School HOME • Groundwater topics • Water Use topics •
Groundwater serves many purposes
Fresh groundwater was used for many important purposes, with the largest amount going toward irrigating crops, such as the delicious eggplants, squash, and rutabagas that children love to have for dinner. Local city and county water departments withdraw a lot of groundwater for public uses, such as for delivery to homes, businesses, and industries, as well as for community uses such as fire fighting, water services at public buildings, and for keeping local residents happy by keeping community swimming pools full of water. Industries and mining facilities also used a lot of groundwater. The majority of water used for self-supplied domestic (people who supply their own home water, usually by a well) and livestock purposes came from groundwater sources.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
This diagram uses a "cylinder and pipe" layout to show the source (surface water or groundwater) of the Nation's freshwater and for what purposes the water was used in 2015. The data are broken out for each category of use by surface water and groundwater as the source.
Data are rounded and are reported in million gallons per day (Mgal/d).
The top row of cylinders represents where America's freshwater came from (source) in 2015, either from surface water (blue) or from groundwater (brown). You can see most of the water we use came from surface-water sources, such as rivers and lakes. About 26 percent of water used came from groundwater. The pipes leading out of the surface-water and groundwater cylinders on the top row and flowing into the bottom rows of cylinders (green) show the categories of water use where the water was sent after being withdrawn from a river, lake, reservoir, or well.
For example, the blue pipe coming out of the surface-water cylinder and entering the public supply cylinder shows that 23,800 Mgal/d of water was withdrawn from surface-water sources for public-supply uses (you probably get your water this way). Likewise, the brown pipe shows that public-suppliers withdrew another 15,200 Mgal/d of water from groundwater sources.
Each green cylinder represents a category of water use. The industrial cylinder, for instance, shows how much groundwater, surface water, and total water was used in the United States, each day, by industries.
You can see that although the Nation uses much more surface water than groundwater, groundwater has significant importance for some of the categories. Almost all self-supplied domestic water came from groundwater; over 40 percent of irrigation water was groundwater; and more groundwater than surface water was used for livestock purposes.
Groundwater withdrawals, by State, 2015
Of the total fresh groundwater withdrawals nationwide (82,300 Mgal/d), irrigation accounted for 70 percent, primarily in California, Arkansas, Nebraska, Idaho, and Texas. Fresh groundwater irrigation withdrawals in these five States cumulatively accounted for 46 percent of the total fresh groundwater withdrawals for all categories nationwide. Nearly all groundwater withdrawals (97 percent) were from freshwater, predominantly used for irrigation. Saline groundwater withdrawals were predominantly used for mining (80 percent) and occurred in Texas, California, and Oklahoma. Irrigation used greater than three times more fresh groundwater than public supply, which was the next largest use of fresh groundwater in the Nation.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Groundwater withdrawals for the United States, 1950-2015. (Data are in billion gallons per day (Bgal/d)
| Year | Fresh | Saline |
| 1950 | 34 | (c) |
| 1955 | 47 | 0.6 |
| 1960 | 50 | 0.4 |
| 1965 | 60 | 0.5 |
| 1970 | 68 | 1 |
| 1975 | 82 | 1 |
| 1980 | 83 | 0.93 |
| 1985 | 73.4 | 0.66 |
| 1990 | 79.4 | 1.30a |
| 1995 | 76.4a | 1.11 |
| 2000 | 84.3a | 2.47a |
| 2005 | 78.9 | 1.51 |
| 2010 | 75.9a | 2.22a |
| 2015 | 82.3 | 2.34 |
a Data revised from Maupin and others (2014) because of revisions to individual State data during interim years
(c) Data not available
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Want to learn more about groundwater use in the United States? Follow me to the USGS Groundwater Use website!
Below are science topics related to groundwater use.
Freshwater Withdrawals in the United States
The freshwater in the Nation's rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, reservoirs, and in underground aquifers are vitally important to our everyday life, and, indeed, to all life on Earth.
Filter Total Items: 17
Groundwater True/False Quiz
How much do you know about the water below your feet? Take our Groundwater True/False Quiz and find out.
Groundwater Information by Topic
Groundwater is one of our most valuable resources—even though you probably never see it or even realize it is there. There is water somewhere beneath your feet no matter where on Earth you live. Groundwater starts as precipitation, just as surface water does, and once water penetrates the ground, it continues moving, sometimes quickly and sometimes very slowly. Eventually groundwater emerges back...
Groundwater Storage and the Water Cycle
The ground stores huge amounts of water and it exists to some degree no matter where on Earth you are. Lucky for people, in many places the water exists in quantities and at depths that wells can be drilled into the water-bearing aquifers and withdrawn to server the many needs people have.
Trends in Water Use in the United States, 1950 to 2015
How has America's water use changed over the last 65 years? Are we using more or less water, and are there trends for different kinds of water use?
Thermoelectric Power Water Use
Much of the electricity used in the United States and worldwide comes from thermoelectric power plants. This type of production includes fuels such as coal, oil, gas-fired, nuclear, and other lesser-used methods, such as geothermal and burning waste material. Production of electrical power results in one of the largest uses of water in the United States and worldwide. Water for thermoelectric...
Surface Water Use in the United States
The Nation's surface-water resources—the water in the nation's rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, and reservoirs—are vitally important to our everyday life.
Public Supply Water Use
It is likely the water you use at home is brought to you by a public water-supply system. These are agencies, such as your local county government, that find and get the water that is delivered to not only your home, but to many businesses and industries. Most of the population of the United States gets their water this way.
Aquaculture Water Use
As the label in the grocery store says, " Farm Raised Tilapia Fillets " are for sale! Yes, aquaculture and fish farming are big businesses nowadays, and with the rising population of the world, more and more seafood will be grown in the future in aquatic farms.
Livestock Water Use
Livestock water use is water associated with livestock watering, feedlots, dairy operations, and other on-farm needs.
Irrigation Water Use
Throughout the world, irrigation (water for agriculture, or growing crops) is probably the most important use of water (except for drinking and washing a smelly dog, perhaps). Irrigation water is essential for keeping fruits, vegetables, and grains growing to feed the world's population, and this has been a constant for thousands of years.
Domestic Water Use
Domestic water use is water used for indoor and outdoor household purposes— all the things you do at home: drinking, preparing food, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, brushing your teeth, watering the garden, and even washing the dog. At the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), domestic water use refers to the amount of water that is "self-supplied", or water withdrawn directly by users, such as from...
Industrial Water Use
The industries that produce metals, wood and paper products, chemicals, gasoline and oils, and those invaluable grabber utensils you use to get your ring (which also needed water to manufacture) out of the garbage disposal are major users of water.
Below are multimedia items associated with groundwater use.
Map of the U.S. by state, showing total water withdrawals, 2015
Map of the U.S. by state, showing total water withdrawals, 2015
Map of the U.S. by state, showing total water withdrawals, 2015
Bar chart showing use of water in 2015, by state and category of use
Bar chart showing use of water in 2015, by state and category of use
Bar chart showing use of water in 2015, by state and category of use
Source and use of water in the U.S. in 2015
Source and Use of Water in the United States, 2015
This diagram uses a "cylinder and pipe" layout to show the source (surface water or groundwater) of the Nation's water and for what purposes the water was used in 2015. The data are broken out for each category of use by surface water and groundwater as the source.
Source and Use of Water in the United States, 2015
This diagram uses a "cylinder and pipe" layout to show the source (surface water or groundwater) of the Nation's water and for what purposes the water was used in 2015. The data are broken out for each category of use by surface water and groundwater as the source.