Water Use - Freshwater Availability, How Water Is Supplied, Types Of Water Use In The United States, Right To Water Use

Water is a fundamental need in every society. Very few human activities do not require its use. Individuals use water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and recreation. Industry uses it to make chemicals, manufacture goods, and clean factories and equipment. Cities use water to fight fires, clean streets, and fill public swimming pools and fountains. Farmers give water to their livestock, clean their barns, and irrigate their crops. Hydroelectric power stations use water to drive generators, while thermonuclear power stations use it for cooling. However, according to Wayne B. Solley, Robert R. Pierce, and Howard A. Perlman in Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 1995 (U.S. Geological Survey, 1998), "Water must be considered as a finite resource that has limits and boundaries to its availability and suitability for use." Humans must remember that our supply of water is not necessarily endless.