This infographic is titled “A Comprehensive Overview of Freshwater Usage in the United States.” It utilizes the data visually to allow readers to understand the full scope of our country’s water consumption. https://htt.io/blog/freshwater-usage-united-states/

1. MILLION
HOW MUCH FRESHWATER DOES
THE UNITED STATES USE?
13 BILLION
gallons extracted per hour
That’s equivalent to filling EMPIRE STATE BUILDINGS4.5
EVERY HOUR
RIVERS
SWAMPS
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
ATCHAFALAYA BASIN
15 MILLION
PEOPLE RELY ON THE MISSISSIPPI
FOR FRESH WATER
More than
cities depend on the Mississippi
for daily water supply
84%
OF NORTH AMERICA’S
FRESHWATER SUPPLY COMES
FROM THE GREAT LAKES
GALLONS WITHDRAWN
EVERY HOUR
LAKES
THE GREAT LAKES
150,000
GALLONS WITHDRAWN
EVERY HOUR
SURFACE WATER
SUPPLIES 75% OF THE UNITED STATES’ FRESHWATER
GROUNDWATER
SUPPLIES 25% OF THE UNITED STATES’ FRESHWATER
OGALLALA AQUIFER
FLORIDIAN AQUIFER
EDWARDS AQUIFER
If pumped out, the Ogallala
would cover all 50 states with
inches of water18
The largest groundwater system
in North America
13.69 MILLION
Each hour,
gallons are pumped out of this reservoir
That’s equal to 20.7 Olympic-sized swimming pools
The U.S. pumps
150MILLION
GALLONS
each hour from this reservoir
HOW DOES THE
UNITED STATES COMPARE TO
THE REST OF THE WORLD?
50
In the United States, nearly 13 billion gallons of freshwater are extracted every hour.
The water is pumped into treatment plants, decontaminated, and distributed to the
masses. On average, each American is responsible for 125 gallons of freshwater usage
each day. Food production accounts for the majority of this usage.
SOURCES OF
FRESHWATER
Approximately 70% of the Earth is covered in water, but only 2.5%
of it is usable freshwater. Here’s the kicker: only 1% of the
freshwater on Earth is able to be extracted for treatment. The rest
is frozen inside of glaciers and snowfields. Surface water and
groundwater are the primary sources for freshwater extraction.
WHAT IS SURFACE WATER?
Surface water originates from rivers, lakes,
swamps, and marshes. It accounts for 75% of the
total freshwater used in the United States. Surface
water is pumped to a water treatment plant where
it is treated and distributed to municipalities. The
Great Lakes alone provide 84% of North America’s
freshwater supply. As the population continues to
grow, there is an urgent need to ensure that
freshwater sources remain clean and sustainable.
Groundwater lives below the Earth’s surface. It accounts for 25% of the freshwater used in the
United States. This water seeps through soil and fractures in rock formations, ultimately pooling
in naturally occurring underground reservoirs known as aquifers. Groundwater is extracted from
aquifers and pumped to water treatment plants. It is then treated and distributed to the masses.
The Ogallala Aquifer is the largest groundwater system in North America. It contains enough
water to cover all 50 states in 18 inches of water.
A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF
FRESHWATER USAGE IN THE UNITED STATES
Each day, Americans use significantly more freshwater per capita than people in other similarly
developed nations. For example, the average American uses 4x more freshwater every day than
the average German. While a portion of this discrepancy is owed to the widespread geography of
the United States, that alone doesn’t account for the difference. Canada, another sprawling
nation, manages to use 40% less freshwater per capita on a daily basis. There is a pressing need
to reduce the collective water footprint in the United States for long-term sustainability.
WATER USAGE, IN MILLION GALLONS PER DAY
WATER USAGE,
IN GALLONS PER CAPITA PER DAY:
125UNITED STATES
81CANADA
43.3
FRANCE
39GREAT
BRITAIN
31.96
GERMANY
EACH PERSON USES
5.2 GALLONS
PER HOUR
WHAT IS GROUNDWATER?
THERMOELECTRIC
MINING
INDUSTRIAL
AQUACULTURE
LIVESTOCK
IRRIGATION
DOMESTIC
PUBLIC SUPPLY
117,000
0 30,000 60,000 90,000 120,000
2,250
15,000
9,420
2,000
115,000
3,600
4,200
HOW DOES THE
UNITED STATES USE FRESHWATER?
??
https://water.usgs.gov/edu/wateruse-total.html
https://www.epa.gov/watersense/how-we-use-water
https://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/great-lakes-facts-and-figures
https://www.nps.gov/miss/riverfacts.htm
http://www.atchafalaya.org/atchafalaya-basin
http://www.dnr.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/1281
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-ogallala-aquifer/
https://www.edwardsaquifer.org/
https://water.usgs.gov/watercensus/groundwater.html
https://www.statista.com/statistics/268338/daily-per-capita-water-consumption-in-selected-countries-2010/
SOURCES
Freshwater is used in a variety of ways. Obviously, we need to drink it to stay alive.
But there are many other uses. Freshwater is used to manufacture consumer
goods, plastic, and food. It is also used to power the world around us. Agricultural
irrigation alone uses 38% of all freshwater. Thermoelectric-power generation also
accounts for 38% of freshwater use, but it is typically returned to the water
supply—making it far more sustainable.
1.75