Water Use in the U.S.

From the United States Geological Survey, here's everything you might want to know about how we use water in this country. The topline view as a map:


So check that — "public supply," your direct use as a person in a home or business, is that red part lined up with Michigan. All those showers, washing machines, lawns... Things we can directly control if we try really hard. They are the third-largest type of use. More than two-thirds, though, goes to thermoelectric power (probably the biggest surprise in the data) and irrigation. The water withdrawn for thermoelectric power is returned to the source after it's cooled, however, and the amount of water used is declining as coal use decreases.

Two other, smaller surprises:

• Idaho uses the third-most water of all states
• Arkansas uses the fifth most

Both of those are so high on the list because of agricultural irrigation. On second thought, Idaho is not as surprising I first thought (potatoes... dry climate), but Arkansas? Is it particularly dry there, compared to the surrounding states? And they don't reuse wastewater in either state, as farmers do in 10 other states (including "red" states like Texas and Kansas).