Technology is Helping Americans Use Less Water
Americans are using less water than they did 30 years ago, despite a 30 percent population increase during the same period, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report that details estimated U.S. water use for 2005.
Most of the decrease is due to more efficient technologies at power plants and improved irrigation systems. That’s not too surprising since 80 percent of the 410 billion gallons of water Americans use every day goes to generate electrical power (49 percent) and irrigate crops (31 percent).
Although water withdrawals for public supply have increased steadily since the USGS began its series of five-year trend reports in 1950, to keep pace with the growth in population, public supply accounts for only 11 percent of overall water use. The remaining 9 percent of U.S. water is used for livestock, aquaculture, mining, certain industrial purposes and rural domestic uses.
The report also breaks down water usage by state and reveals some surprising results. Four of the 50 states–California, Texas, Idaho, and Florida–accounted for more than 25 percent of all fresh and salt water withdrawn in the United States in 2005.
With water rationing already occurring in some states, and our population continuing to grow, Americans need to find new and more efficient ways to conserve and reuse water.
Also Read:
- Water Conservation: Global Water Supply Drying Up as Population Grows
- How Safe is Tap Water
- How Much Energy Does It Take to Make Bottled Water?
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