USGS Releases National Water Availability Assessment 

USGS released a comprehensive analysis and compilation of scientific data and information about water availability in its Integrated Water Availability Assessment for Water Years 2010–2020. This effort was undertaken in response to a mandate from the SECURE Water Act. Preliminary reports were published in 2013 and 2018 before developing this more comprehensive assessment. The analysis spans ten years and considers water availability on a range of scales from 12-digit hydrologic code (HUC12) catchments, hydrologic regions, and at the national scale.

This Assessment includes three products: a comprehensive report, an online data companion, and an interactive data visualization website. These resources collectively provide new insights on imbalances between water supply and demand across the US. They also include data and information about drinking water quality and quantity, climate, and social vulnerability. The Figure 4 map on page 12 of the report also shows percentages of contaminants (including arsenic, manganese, radionuclides, and nitrate) in principal aquifers across the US that exceed human-health benchmarks for drinking water.

For more information, read the press release or contact one of USGS’ scientists.