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Method for Estimating Water Use and Interbasin Transfers of Freshwater and Wastewater in an Urbanized Basin

U.S. Geological Survey WRIR-99-4287

by M.A. Horne

ABSTRACT

Techniques for management of drainage basins that use water budgets to balance available water resources with actual or anticipated water use require accurate and precise estimates of basin withdrawals, interbasin transfers of freshwater, unaccounted-for use, water use, consumptive use, inflow and infiltration, basin return flow, and interbasin transfers of wastewater. Frequently, interbasin transfers of freshwater and wastewater are not included in basin water budgets because they occur within public water-delivery and wastewater-collection systems. A new 10-step method was developed to improve estimates of inflow and infiltration and interbasin transfers using readily available statewide data. The accuracy and precision of water-use estimates determined by this method are improved through careful application of coefficients for small users and the use of metered values for large users. The method was developed and tested with data for the Ten Mile River Basin in southeastern Massachusetts. This report uses examples from the basin to illustrate each step of the method.

CONTENTS

Abstract

Introduction

Purpose and Scope

Acknowledgments

Description of Study Area

Minor Civil Division

Subbasins

Method of Estimating Water Use and Interbasin Transfer

Identify and Obtain Required Data

Organize and Manage Data

Estimate Subbasin Populations

Analyze Data on Public Water System Withdrawals

Analyze Data on Public Wastewater System Return Flow

Identify Major Water Users and Determine Rates of Water Use

Estimate Areal Extent and Rates of Use for Minor Water Users

Estimate Areal Extent and Rates of Public Water-System Deliveries and Self-Supplied Withdrawals

Estimate Areal Extent and Rates of Public Wastewater-System Collection and Self-Disposed Return Flow

Integrate Estimated Water-Use Data into Subbasin Summaries

Summary and Conclusions

Selected

References

Glossary

FIGURES

  1. Flow chart showing relations among water-use processes

2, 3. Maps showing

  1. Location of the five subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin, southeastern Massachusetts
  2. Land use in the five subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin
  3. Flow chart showing general approach for estimating basin water use and interbasin transfers

5-7. Diagrams illustrating:

  1. Combined coverages for areal extent of public water-system distribution, population,land use, and subbasin boundaries in two subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin
  2. Public water-system wells, distribution lines, and subbasin boundaries in the Attleboro portion of the Seven Mile River, Ten Mile River, and Bungay River subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin
  3. Public wastewater-system treatment plants, outfalls,collection lines, and subbasin boundaries in the Attleboro and Seekonk portion of the Seven Mile River and Ten Mile River subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin
  4. Flow chart showing basin water-use and interbasin transfer of freshwater and wastewater in the Ten Mile River Basin, 1992

TABLES

  1. Area and population in the five subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin and adjacent areas southeastern Massachusetts, 1990
  2. Summary of data and data sources
  3. Population of subbasins in the Ten Mile River Basin estimated by direct areal proportion and by use of housing-unit density
  4. Total population and population served by public water systems and public wastewater systems by Minor Civil Divisions in the five subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin, 1990
  5. Distribution systems and withdrawals by public water systems in the five subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin and adjacent areas, 1992
  6. Collection systems and return flow from public wastewater systems in the five subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin and adjacent areas, 1992
  7. Availability of types of data on major water user
  8. Coefficients for estimating commercial and industrial use from two-digit Standard Industrial classification code categories and number of employees
  9. Number of employees per two-digit Standard Industrial Classification code category and number employed by major users for seven Minor Civil Divisions in southeastern Massachusetts, 1992-95
  10. Water use per two-digit Standard Industrial Classification code category and by major users for seven Minor Civil Divisions in southeastern Massachusetts, 1992-95
  11. Commercial and industrial land-use area as a percentage of total land area per Minor Civil Divisio for that use category in the five subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin
  12. Water use by major and aggregated minor users in the five subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin, 1992
  13. Summary of water use as supplied by public water-system deliveries and self-supplied withdrawals in the five subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin, 1992
  14. Comparison between public water-system deliveries estimated through methods described in report with those reported to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for seven Minor Civil Divisions in 1992
  15. Summary of public wastewater-system collection and self-disposed return flow in the five subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin, 1992
  16. Method for estimating inflow and infiltration in Attleboro and North Attleborough in the Ten Mile River Basin
  17. Summary of withdrawals, use, inflow and infiltration, wastewater returns, and resource gains or losses in the five subbasins of the Ten Mile River Basin, 1992
  18. Interbasin transfer of wastewater and inflow and infiltration in the Ten Mile River Basin, 1992

AVAILABILITY

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Report    (761 KB) - 34 pages







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