US Water Use, Withdrawals to Decline Amid Rise in Reclamation, Efficiency Standards

Cleveland, OH, April 19, 2024 — Water use in the US is forecast to decline 3.5% annually in volume terms through 2028, according to Water: United States, a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Growth in the overall population, electricity generation, and manufacturing output will support water use. However, water use is expected to fall despite projected gains in these indicators due to:

• increasing use of photovoltaic (PV) solar and wind power – which do not use a steam cycle to drive a turbine and thus do not require water to operate – in the US utility sector
• stricter state regulations controlling water outflow quality from manufacturing and mining establishments, encouraging firms to increase water reuse
• increasing market penetration of water efficient appliances and fixtures (e.g., toilets, faucets, and shower heads) that will reduce consumer water use
• declines in the area of cropland planted and the volume of mining materials handled

US water withdrawal is forecast to decline 3.4% per year in volume terms through 2028. Withdrawals are expected to fall due to increases in water reclamation driven by factors such as supply constraints (e.g., drought), increased water use efficiency in irrigation, and regulatory limitations on wastewater effluents. Agriculture will continue to represent a major market for withdrawal, as the vast majority of water diverted for this purpose is not reclaimed; water applied to fields as irrigation or supplied to livestock as hydration is generally lost to the environment due to factors such as evaporative loss and the lack of a viable infrastructure for recovery.

These and other key insights are featured in Water: United States. This report forecasts to 2028 US water use and withdrawal in gallons. Total water use is segmented by market in terms of:

• utilities
• manufacturing and mining
• municipal

Total water withdrawal is segmented by market as follows:

• agriculture
• other markets such as utilities and manufacturing

To illustrate historical trends, water use, water withdrawals, and the various segments are provided in annual series from 2013 to 2023.

For the purposes of this report, water use encompasses water withdrawals from surface and groundwater sources and includes reclaimed wastewater. Trends and forecasts related to water use apply to water that has been treated to some appreciable degree and do not include water used in agricultural applications. Water withdrawal totals refer to water from surface and groundwater sources, excluding reclaimed wastewater. The municipal segment excludes water withdrawn from wells on residential properties.

This report includes the results of a proprietary national online consumer survey of US adults (age 18+). This Freedonia Focus Reports National Online Consumer Survey has a sample size of approximately 1,547, screened for response quality, and representative of the US population on the demographic measures of age, gender, geographic region, race/ethnicity, household income, and the presence/absence of children in the household.

More information about the report is available at:

https://www.freedoniagroup.com/freedonia-focus/water-united-states-ff95025.htm

About Freedonia Focus Reports

Each month, The Freedonia Group – a division of MarketResearch.com – publishes over 20 new or updated Freedonia Focus Reports, providing fresh, unbiased analysis on a wide variety of markets and industries. Published in 20-30 pages, Focus Report coverage ranges from raw materials to finished manufactured goods and related services such as freight and construction. Additional Water Treatment reports can be purchased at Freedonia Focus Reports or MarketResearch.com.

Analysis is intended to guide the busy reader through pertinent topics in rapid succession, including:

• total historical market size and industry output
• segmentation by products and markets
• identification of market drivers, constraints, and key indicators
• segment-by-segment outlook in five-year forecasts
• a survey of the supply base
• suggested resources for further study