The Texas Water Development Board Water Use Survey program conducts an annual survey of about 4,300 public water systems and 2,000 industrial facilities. The water use survey collects the volume of both ground and surface water used, the source of the water, water sales, and other pertinent data from the users. This data provides an important source of information in helping guide water supply studies as well as regional and state water planning that is dependent upon the accuracy and completeness of the information water users provide.
Of the approximately 6,300 systems/facilities surveyed, 84% submitted their water use survey for 2014 water use. This represents about 90% of the total surveyed water use in the state. For those systems/facilities that did not submit their survey, estimates were carried-over from the most current available year. Estimates are also revised as additional or more accurate data becomes available through survey responses. From the 2014 Texas Water Development Board’s Statewide Historical Water Use Estimates Survey, a total estimated water use statewide was about 13.70 million acre-feet (1 acre-foot = 325,851 gallons) and was down from 2013 which was estimated at about 14.49 million acre-feet. Compared with 2013, the total 2014 estimated municipal water use decreased from 4.28 million acre-feet to 4.09 million acre-feet. Below is a breakdown of the categorical estimated uses from 2006 to 2014. Irrigation water use (58%) topped the largest water use category in the State in 2014 with an estimated 7.83 million acre-feet. Municipal water use (30%) was the second largest water use category with an estimated 4.09 million acre-feet. Manufacturing (6%), Power (3%), Livestock (2%), and Mining (1%) estimated water use collectively comprised about 1.78 million acre-feet.
