Assessment on the Availability of Water in the U.S. Adapted from Information by the U.S. Geological Survey Offering insight into the balance between water supplies and demand, a new assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Water Availability Assessment, is a pioneering scientific overview of water availability across the United States. The assessment revealed nearly 30 million people live in areas where surface water supplies are limited compared to water use, indicating a high level of water limitation. People living in areas with this limitation were socially vulnerable compared to those living in areas with lower water limitations and more available water. The U.S. is facing challenges related to water availability and this assessment provides key insights into where shortages exist, where surpluses can be found, and the quality of the water. “This assessment is a crucial part of the USGS’s commitment to understanding and reporting on water availability, a growing concern in the face of increasing challenges to this vital resource,” said David Applegate, USGS Director. “As the first study that looks at water supply, demand, and quality across the lower 48 states, it can help support informed decision making for sustainable water management.” Unlike previous assessments, which relied solely on data from locations where water was directly measured, the new assessment used state-of-the-art models to fill the gaps between monitoring sites. Additionally, prior assessments viewed water quality and water use separately, while the new assessment integrates the two for a more comprehensive understanding of water availability. “This assessment is a groundbreaking scientific endeavor that enhances our understanding of the complex dynamics of water availability in the United States,” said Bill Werkheiser, USGS Associate Director for Water Resources. “By integrating data on water quantity, quality, and usage, we are uncovering valuable insights that will help researchers and policymakers address the critical challenges related to our water resources.” The report is accompanied by the National Water Availability Assessment Data Companion, a user-friendly online platform designed to provide access to underlying datasets used in the assessment. It offers tools policymakers, resource managers, and scientists can use to retrieve information for a better understanding of the state of water across the country. The web-based platform provides nationally consistent, routinely updated information on water quantity, quality, and use. It will also host data and information covering past conditions over multiple decades, current or near-current conditions, and projections of future conditions over multiple decades. The first version of the Data Companion, which will be released alongside the assessment report, will deliver modeled water-use data covering several past decades. Modeled water quantity and quality, updated current conditions, and future projections will be available in future updates. The Data Companion will complement the USGS’s well-established data access website, Water Data for the Nation (WDFN). While WDFN provides access to past and present water resources measurements, the Data Companion provides modeled data which fills in spatial and temporal gaps in observational data. Together, the Data Companion and the WDFN offer a more complete picture of the nation's water resources. For more information, please visit usgs.gov/iwaas Roughly 90% of daily water use in the United States goes toward crop irrigation, thermoelectric power plants, and public supply. These three areas use up to 224,000 million gallons of freshwater per day. WTR 31 APRIL 2025 WorldWide Drilling Resource®
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDk4Mzk=