New Inventory of Water Bottling Facilities:

With the increased consumption of bottled water in the United States, there is a need to understand the effects of these water withdrawals on groundwater levels, spring flows, and water quality. USGS scientists have completed the first national inventory of bottling facilities, facility characteristics, and water use data for facilities where available.

See the data release and the interactive data visualization website for more information or contact USGS scientist Cheryl Dieter.

National Summary of Groundwater Quality:

For the first time since 2012, the USGS has completed a national summary of groundwater quality. This summary includes trends and results for 28 elements or compounds from 82 groundwater well networks.   

For more information, read about USGS Integrated Water Availability Assessments, the article, or contact USGS scientist Bruce Lindsey.

How Do We Improve Large-Scale Water-Quality Trends?

Large, multi-site trend studies are important for evaluating broad geographic changes in water-quality. However, considerable effort is needed to evaluate the site-specific models that make up these studies. Therefore, USGS scientists used over 6,000 trends models to design a semi-automated, time-saving method to streamline this process.  

Learn more about USGS Integrated Water Availability Assessments, read the study, or contact USGS Scientist Jenny Murphy for more information.

Water Use Estimates:

The USGS released water use estimates for 2000 through 2020 for the three largest categories of water use in the United States: thermoelectric power generation, irrigation, and public supply. The estimates are the result of the development of a modeling framework by the USGS in collaboration with other federal, state, local, and academic partners.

See the USGS Water Use Program for more information or contact USGS scientist Richard Niswonger.

Chaco Culture National Historic Park:

Chaco Culture National Historical Park, located in northwestern New Mexico, protects Native historical sites in the American Southwest. Because the park is located in an area with extensive oil and gas exploration, the USGS used geochemical and groundwater models to assess the vulnerability of the park’s drinking water source.

To learn more, read about the geochemical study, the groundwater modeling approach, the USGS-NPS Water Quality Partnership program, or contact USGS scientists, Benjamin Linhoff or Zachary Shephard.

Pesticides Likely Impacting Invertebrates in our Nation’s Streams: 

The USGS studied pesticides transported by stormwater, surface runoff, and wastewater in over 400 streams. Scientists determined that four pesticides were likely toxic and impacting aquatic invertebrate communities at a regional scale in one or more of five regions studied. 

Learn more about this new nationwide study, the National Water Quality Program, or contact USGS scientist Lisa Nowell.