Report: U.S. water use down

The nation is using less water now than it did in 1975 and 1980, when water use peaked. That figure is based on the U.S. Geological Survey's estimate for U.S. water use in 2005, and the drop comes despite a 30 percent increase in population in the past 25 years. "The declines are attributed to the increased use of more efficient irrigation systems and alternative technologies at power plants," the U.S. Department of Interior said today. In 2005, Americans used 410 billion gallons of water a day, less than in 2000, the report says. And almost half of that water was used for energy production at coal and other power plants...read more