Great Lakes Basin Pilot

Water-Use analysis

The major tasks include:

• Compile consumptive-use coefficients by water-use categories for the Great Lakes Basin and climatically similar areas.  This compilation is in a report that includes:
  • consumptive-use coefficients by water-use categories;
  • a selected statistical analysis;
  • summary tables by geographical area and water-use category;
  • an annotated bibliography of references with consumptive-use coefficients; and
  • an appendix with detailed consumptive-use coefficient tables from selected references
  for the Great Lakes Basin and areas climatically similar to the Great Lakes Basin, and selected references for elsewhere in the world.
• Analysis of return flow and water use data in Ohio and water use data in Indiana, and Wisconsin for consumptive-use coefficients and monthly variability of water use and consumptive use.  This analysis will be compared to consumptive-use coefficient statistics found by Shaffer and Runkle (2007) for water-use categories.
• Compilation and publication of water-use data and estimates for the U.S. side of the Great Lake Basin water use by Hydrologic Unit Code for 2005.

Status

In order for water managers to make water resources decisions, more complete information on water use is needed to better understand present and future water availability. One major component of water use that needs improvement is consumptive use.

In the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report, "Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2000," consumptive use is defined as “the part of water withdrawn that is evaporated, transpired, incorporated into products or crops, consumed by humans or livestock, or otherwise removed from the immediate water environment” (Hutson, 2004, p. 44). Consumptive use is defined in the Great Lakes Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement as “that portion of water withdrawn or withheld from the Basin that is lost or otherwise not returned to the Basin due to evaporation, incorporation into products, or other processes.” The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) defines consumptive use in the Annual Report of the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Data Base Repository Representing 1987 Water Use Data as “that portion of water withdrawn or withheld from the Great Lakes Basin and assumed to be lost or otherwise not returned to the Great Lakes Basin due to evapotranspiration, incorporation into products, or other processes.” (GLC, 1989).

The report summarizing the review and analysis of consumptive-use coefficients is in press. Major features of the report include extensive tables and figures illustrating the range of consumptive-use coefficients used in the region and the sources of these coefficients.

Example figure from Shaffer and Runkle (2007) showing various industrial consumptive-use coefficients used in the Great Lakes States reported by different sources: A. U.S. Bureau of Census, 1982, 1986; B. Great Lakes Commission, 2005; and C. Solley and others, 1998. (Select each image for larger version)

References:

Great Lakes Commission, 2005, Annual reports from the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database Repository, representing 1998 to 2002 water-use data: Ann Arbor, Mich., accessed May 31, 2006, at http://www.glc.org/wateruse/database/downloads.html

Hutson, S.S., Barber, N.L., Kenny, J.F., Linsey, K.S., Lumia, D S., and Maupin, M.M., 2004, Estimated use of water in the United States in 2000: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1268, 46 p.

Shaffer, K.H., and Runkle, D.L., 2007, Consumptive water-use coefficients for the Great Lakes Basin and climatically similar areas: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report (in press).

Solley, W.B., Pierce, R.R., and Perlman, H.A., 1998, Estimated use of water in the United States in 1995: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1200, 71 p.

U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1982, 1986, Census of manufactures: Washington, D.C., Subject series, Water Use in Manufacturing, MC82–S–6, 72 p.