What percentage of the United States do you think is inland freshwater? According to the United States Geological Survey, excluding the Great Lakes, about 2.2% or 78,000 out of 3.5 million square miles of the U.S. is made up of inland water. This consists of our nations rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs. About 80% of the U.S. draw is pulled from inland and 20% from ground sources, which include aquifers, underground rivers, and wells.
The nation’s fresh water supply is a 
valuable and renewable resource for our everyday life, business, and industry. For much of the U.S., freshwater supply is more than ample to meet the consumption rate. But drought conditions and population pressures in parts of the country are threatening to reveal a trend that has been a concern for decades. Will future supply meet demand?
Like the uneven economy where the recession hit some harder than others, we are all affected by the recession. The same will hold true in areas of the country where drought, overconsumption and poor quality will be a dynamic trend for decades to come, and we will all experience the effects. Since 80% of our U.S. water draw comes from rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, water runoff from heavy rains and floods become a concern as well. Although this replenishes inland water supply it also increases sediment and impurities into freshwater.
Sediments are primarily from soil erosion and soil particulates which are visible muddy conditions in streams and rivers. Impurities from rainwater runoff are primarily from farms, businesses, and industries. This is not as noticeable to the eye but is considered a factor in describing suspended particulates in freshwater supply. Thanks to our local municipalities
our nation has the best water quality and safest supply in the world! Rarely do we stop and consider our clean water sources. We just take for granted it will be there. Well, that’s enough tech talk for now.
The purpose of this blog is to bring awareness to our valuable water resources. Everything in life begins and thrives by having a clean reliable freshwater source. Our nation is blessed with ample water supply but threats of drought, urban expansion, pollution, and even flooding are concerns we all should be considering in our personal and business activity. Maybe with a little insight, we’ll consider how we conserve, consume and care for our supply in the near future and generations ahead.
{This is part two in a blog series by Dine Company on freshwater awareness and interesting tips on conservation, consumption, and basic water quality and care.}
