2 Trillion gallons. Where do we use all that water?
“In one year, Wisconsin power plants, municipalities, large farmers, papermakers and other industries take more than 2 trillion gallons of water out of lakes, rivers and underground aquifers.
Surface water. The largest users by far of the state’s lakes and rivers are 30 power plants with total withdrawals of more than 1.6 trillion gallons in 2011 – 84.6% of all surface water used in the state in a year. Third place was occupied by 40 municipal water suppliers using lakes or rivers. They distributed nearly 104.8 billion gallons of water in 2011, just shy of 5.4% of the total surface water withdrawal.
Groundwater. There are 1,625 municipal wells in the state capable of pumping 100,000 gallons or more per day. This group accounts for the largest volume of annual groundwater withdrawals: more than 89.9 billion gallons in 2011, or 42.2% of the total.” from the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel.