InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Water Science and Society > Student Materials > Section 1: Fresh Water: Scarcity or Surfeit? > Module 1: Freshwater Resources - A Global Perspective > Water usage: What and Where?
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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Initial Publication Date: March 31, 2017

Water usage: What and Where?

How much water do we use, and for what? Water "permeates" almost every aspect of our lives (no pun intended!). Some uses of water are obvious – for example, municipal and domestic supply used for drinking, cleaning, flushing and watering. Others are less obvious, such as water used for irrigation to grow produce, grains, or feed. The water needed to raise livestock is one step further removed, since the water "used" to produce the product includes the water that must go into growing feed. Yet other uses of water are even less visible, for example for refining fuels, cooling for thermo-electric power generation, and the manufacturing of almost everything in our day-to-day lives.;

Because the types and scales of water use vary widely – from domestic wells that pump at a few gallons per minute, to allocations of major rivers in billions of gallons, the units of measurement used for water management also span an enormous range (see Units).


These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »