MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently released its 2024 Report on Water Withdrawals, which gives an overview of the past 10 years of water withdrawals throughout Wisconsin.
Since the onset of the Great Lakes Compact, Wisconsin requires water users to register and annually report on any surface water or groundwater withdrawals that have the capacity to pump 100,000 gallons per day. Data reported to the DNR revealed that:
- The largest water withdrawals were for power production, municipal water supply and crop irrigation.
- In 2024, Wisconsin cities, agricultural operations, businesses, industry and power generation facilities withdrew almost 1.7 trillion gallons from groundwater and surface water sources – the equivalent of just over 1% of the volume of Lake Michigan.
- Power production was the largest water use category at 73% of the total water in 2024, with municipal supply following at 11%.
“While Wisconsin’s overall water use has remained relatively consistent over the past decade, shifts in local demand often require careful consideration of water efficiency, as well as resource availability and long-term sustainability. Water withdrawal data continues to play an essential role in informing those discussions,” said Adam Freihoefer, DNR Water Use Section Manager.
Though electricity-generating facilities withdraw the largest volumes of water of any user group in Wisconsin, their water use has been steadily declining over the past 10 years. Wisconsin has a diverse energy landscape with renewable, fossil fuel and nuclear generating stations. Depending on the cooling technology used, each power plant has different water use needs. Recirculating cooling systems generally withdraw less water but have a higher percent consumptive use, while once-through cooling systems use greater volumes of water but have lower proportional consumptive use.
Read the full 2024 Water Withdrawals Report and visit the DNR’s Wisconsin’s Decade of Water Withdrawals story map to learn more about the state’s water use reporting and trends.
