Status and trends in water use in the southeastern United States

Alabama AWRAOctober 12, 2005

Susan S. Hutson USGS

University of Memphis Hsiang-Te Kung, Ph.D. ProfessorEsra Ozdenerol, Ph.D. Asst. Prof.Jungyul Sohn, Ph.D, Asst. Prof.

Southeastern United StatesTotal water withdrawals by source

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

ground surface total

Water withdrawals by quality of water 1960 to 2000

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

saline fresh

How water is used in the Southeast

0 10 20 30 40 50

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

non-power thermoelectric power

Water availability, water use, and

demographic and socioeconomic indicators

Thermoelectric power sector Hydro and thermo power accounted for

67 percent of electricity generated by TVA in 2000

The importance is greater than the income from the power sales

Electricity served as a base for the economy of the region that was valued at $246b for goods and services

Total water withdrawals excluding thermoelectric power 1960 to 2000

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Alabama Georgia

Total water withdrawals excluding thermoelectric power 1960 to 2000

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10

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

I rrigation Public supply s-s industry

SE public supply WU 1960-2000

Increased PS withdrawals 230% Increased population 89 % Increase population served 134 % Increased gross per capita use

1960 137 gallons per person per day 2000 174 gallons per person per day

Effect of changing demographics on public-supply withdrawals

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Alabama Georgia Florida

Demographics and water use2000 Census

Ranked by population size FL 4 GA 10 NC 11 VA 12 TN 16 AL 23 KY 25 SC 26 MS 31

Demographics and water use2025 projections

Total net increase SE 17.5 million

Largest projected net increase CA 1 17.7 million TX 2 8.5 FL 3 6.5 GA 4 2.7 NC 7 2.2 VA 8 1.8 TN 13 1.4

Population projections:States, 1995-2025 U.S. Census Bureau

Fastest-growing population by % CA 1 56% FL 9 46% GA 15 37% NC 16 30% VA 18 28% TN 19 27% SC 20 26% U.S. 28%

Demographics and public-supply water useU.S. Census Bureau

In 1950, the U.S. population became predominantly metropolitan and became increasingly metropolitan in each subsequent decade

This increasingly concentrated population received its drinking water from public supplies. Population served by public supplies expanded, increasing from 58 to 81 percent of the population.

Demographics and public-supply water useU.S. Census Bureau

Since 1990, more than half of the U.S. population has lived in metropolitan areas of at least 1 million people.

In 2002, public supply systems serving more than 100,000 people served more than 30 percent of the population

Demographics and public-supply water useU.S. Census Bureau

Most of the growth occurred in the suburbs, with little change in the percentage of population living in central cities.

As a result systems expanded lines to meet the new demand or to meet the demand for publicly supplied instead of self-supplied drinking water.

Demographic implications for Public Supply Increased demand in large areas of

concentrated population may strain local water availability Hydrology--more distant source alternatives Legal--question of who has a right to the more

distant sources

Increased cost/rates by the larger systems to meet more stringent USEPA requirements Engineering--granulated activated carbon

filtration

Changing face of industrial water use in the Southeast

Traditional manufacturing—large users of self-supplied water Chemicals Pulp and paper Primary metals Food processing

Changing face of industrial water use in the Southeast Modern

manufacturing—modest users of publicly-supplied water Transportation

equipment Computer &

electronic products Machinery

manufacture

Status of data collectionIndustrial water use USGS

Data model for 2000 Self-supplied withdrawals only emphasized the impact on the water

resource--withdrawals

Data model from 1960 to 1995 Self-supplied withdrawals Publicly- supplied deliveries

Industrial water use

01000

20003000400050006000700080009000

10000

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

withdrawalsdeliveries

SummaryIndustrial freshwater use 1995

AL FL GA KY MS NC SC TN VA% self 77 77 77 66 94 66 94 87 96

self 733 345 633 347 290 369 700 863 583

public 213 103 194 197 20 193 44 130 88

Manufacturing and industrial water use

Manufacturing employees 2000

SE 3.8m

MI&OH 1.9m

2005 SE

3.1m MI&OH 1.5m

Manufacturing firms SE 69,241 MI & OH 34,257

Industrial water use--Southeast

State Manu contribution to real GSP growth in %

Motor vehicles contribution to real growth in manufacturing in %

AL 16 9.1

FL 5 10.8

GA 14 13.3

KY 21 14.4

MS 16 14.5

NC 22 13.2

SC 19 21.9

TN 17 13.8

VA 12 7.5

s-s industrial water use-2000 GeorgiaIndustry gw Mgal/d sw Mgal/d Percent of total Contribution to

real 1992-2000 GSP

Mining 8.02 2.05 1.2 4

Food 9.94 6.07 2.4 5.2

Textiles 10.32 15.18 4.0 2.0

Paper 122.56 296.79 64 0.7

Chemicals 84.55 37.58 19 6.3

Petroleum .31 0 >1 10.3

Rubber 1.47 0 >1 10.8

Stone, clay 53.06 6.14 9 4.0

Primary metals

.79 0 >1 2.1

Elec mach 16.2

Industrial growth and water use in the southeastern region

Status of USGS water-use data collection Site-specific data

Self-supplied industrial Thermoelectric power public supply

Not public supply deliveries

Benefits of the data

Framing the inevitable question

Will there be sufficient water resources to sustain economic growth and the quality of life?