In the United States, the highest water withdrawals are primarily attributed to thermoelectric power generation. According to data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other relevant sources, thermoelectric power plants utilize significant amounts of water for cooling purposes. This makes them the largest category of water withdrawals in the sector of overall water use.
Following thermoelectric power, the next largest uses of water include irrigation for agriculture and industrial uses, but thermoelectric power consistently ranks at the top in terms of total water withdrawals across the country.
It's important to note that while thermoelectric power accounts for the most significant withdrawals, the actual water consumption (the amount of water that is permanently removed from water bodies and not returned) may differ, with irrigation often showing higher consumption rates due to evaporation and plant uptake.