New database reveals how Americans use water

PHYS.org: “Water powers our lives. It feeds our crops, keeps factories running, generates electricity, and fills our taps. But until now, no one had a clear, national picture of how much water we’re using—and for what. Landon Marston, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, and his doctoral student Yunus Naseri are changing that. They have created the United States Water Withdrawals Database, the first nationwide resource to track who is drawing water from rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers, and in what amounts. Their study was published in Scientific Data. The database is now publicly available for communities and policymakers to use and includes:

• 188,857 unique water users
• 353,694 points of diversion and use
• 58 million withdrawal volumes
• 7.5 million individual records

Access to this kind of data has never been more important, as communities face increasing stress on water resources due to droughts, climate change, and population growth. “Effective water management in the United States has been hampered by a critical data gap: we know far more about water supply than about who uses water, how much they withdraw, and where and when that water is used,” said Marston. “The lack of spatially and temporally detailed water use data across all sectors of the economy impedes our ability to research, plan, and effectively manage our water resources.” With the database, communities can see how water use changes with the seasons, identify which sectors use the most water in a region, and track long-term trends. That information can help guide smarter planning, conservation efforts, and sustainable management of this critical resource…”