Next Generation Public Supply Water Withdrawal Estimation for the Conterminous United States Using Machine Learning and Operational Frameworks – Alzraiee – 2024 – Water Resources Research – Wiley Online Library

This USGS study presents a machine learning framework for estimating monthly and annual public water supply withdrawals across the conterminous United States at service area resolution for 2000–2020. It finds that national per-capita water withdrawal declined at 0.58 gallons per capita per day per year, though total withdrawals increased 7.56% due to population growth outpacing conservation gains. For data center advocates, this research provides critical baseline data on public water supply demands that can help contextualize the additional water burden data centers impose on local and regional water systems.