United States Water Withdrawals Database

Sci Data. 2025 Dec 11. doi: 10.1038/s41597-025-06300-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The United States Water Withdrawals Database (USWWD) provides a standardized compilation of user-level water withdrawal data across 42 US states. USWWD provides time series of water withdrawals at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions, encompassing 188,857 unique water users, 353,694 points of diversion and use, and 58,439,412 withdrawal volumes included in 7,524,266 records across various sectors. USWWD integrates diverse state-level data sources, standardizing information on water users, withdrawal locations, volumes, source types, and primary water use categories. The withdrawal data combines both direct measurements and various estimation techniques, reflecting the diverse methods utilized by different state agencies in reporting water usage. USWWD addresses significant gaps in national water use data, enabling researchers to conduct detailed analyses of water withdrawal patterns, trends, and drivers across space, time, and sectors. This granular dataset supports a wide range of applications, including water resource management, planning, and policy development. By providing the most detailed national water use data to date, USWWD facilitates new understanding of how society uses water.

PMID:41381530 | DOI:10.1038/s41597-025-06300-1