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Water Use By Activity
Typical quantities of agricultural, domestic, and industrial water
use are shown below. Agricultural activities, on average, account for
90 percent or more of the water used throughout the western United States.
Only a portion of water "used" (withdrawn) is consumed. Water not consumed
is called return flow and contributes to downstream surface and ground
water supplies. Approximately half of the water applied by surface irrigation
is consumed, and only one to twenty percent of water withdrawn for industrial
processing or cooling is consumed. Individual water applications an consumptive
use rates vary widely.
Agricultural Water Use
Crop Production Typical Quantities of Water Withdrawn
One acre of hay 3.3 acre feet 300,000 gal/ton
One acre of corn 2.7 acre feet 6,500 gal/bu
One acre of barley 2.0 acre feet 8,000 gal/bu
One acre of sugar beets 2.7 acre feet 40,000 gal/ton
Livestock
Beef cattle 15 gal/head/day 5,475 gal/head/yr
Sheep 1.5 gal/head/day 548 gal/head/yr
Horse 10 gal/head/day 3,650 gal/head/yr
Domestic Water Use
Average use per residence 0.57 af/year 184,320 gal/year
505 gal/day 15,360 gal/month
Total use per person 158 gal/day 4,800 gal/month
Indoor use per person 78 gal/day 2,370 gal/month
Toilet 27 gal/day -
Laundry 17 gal/day -
Showers 14 gal/day -
Misc. 20 gal/day -
Outdoor use per person 80 gal/day 2,430 gal/month
Industrial Water Use (process, transportation, cooling)
Petroleum refining 770 gal/barrel
Coal gasification (250 mmcf/day) 4,750-13,900 af/year
Coal hydrogenation-liquefication
(dry cooling 100,000 barrels fuel/day) 10,000-12,000 af/year
Coal slurry pipeline (one million tons/year) 600 af/year
Electric generating plant (1,000 mw) 7,000-29,000 af/year
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