Water Use

Water use in the broad sense deals with man's interaction with and influence on the hydrologic cycle. In a technical sense, water use refers to water that is actually used for a specific purpose, such as domestic use, commercial needs, or industrial processing. The water use for the state of Alaska was estimated for 1995.

Industry is the largest user of fresh water in Alaska. In 1995, it accounted for about 38 percent of all offstream withdrawals. In 1995, water used instream for hydroelectric power generation was nine times more than that used offstream by man.

Another probable large instream use is for fish and wildlife resources. Approximately 15,000 water bodies have been identified by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as producing anadromous fish. The Alaska Water Use Act was amended in 1980 to include instream flow as a use. The amendments provide the opportunity for private individuals, and local, State, and Federal governments to legally acquire instream flow water rights. Either one or a combination of the four following types of uses can be acquired: 1) protection of fish and wildlife habitat, migration, and propagation; 2) recreation and parks; 3) navigation and transportation; and 4) sanitation and water quality. Eleven instream flow rights applications have been granted.

From 1990-95, Alaska's population increased 11 percent, which was one of the Nation's larger percentage increases. In 1995, Alaska's population increased by 3 percent. About 52 percent of the State's population lived in the Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau areas in 1995.

Because of the population increase, public-supply use of water is also increasing. In 1995, public-supply use accounted for 33 percent of all offstream withdrawal and 63 percent of the State's population received their water from a public-supply utility; the remainder supplied their own water. The main use of public-supply water (about 57 percent) was for domestic purposes ; the rest was primarily for commercial and industrial uses. However, these uses have been decreasing since 1990 due to timber processing plants closing in southeast Alaska.

In 1995, the water utilities in the Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau areas used 60 percent of all water withdrawn in the State for public supply. The monthly mean rate of water withdrawn by the principal public-supply utilities servicing these three areas from January 1990 to September 1996 is shown in figure 2. (Data are from Municipality of Anchorage, Fort Richardson, City of Fairbanks, and City and Borough of Juneau.) The higher usage shown during the summer months in Anchorage and Fairbanks is probably due to tourists, increased industrial activity, and seasonal climatic effects.

The State's 1995 average use from public supply is 172 gallons per day per person, while the nation's average is 184 gallons per day. Some of the nation's lowest per capita use of all public-supply customers of 10 gallons per day has been reported on the North Slope.

Surface water is the source for 54 percent of the State's 1996 public-water supply, while ground water is the source for the remainder. Anchorage receives 66 percent of its water from surface-water sources. Surface water became the primary source when water from Eklutna Lake was brought into production in 1988. Juneau obtained 84 percent of public-supply water from ground-water sources in 1996. Juneau has reduced using its surface-water source because of cost to meet water-quality regulations. Fairbanks obtains 100 percent of public-supply water from ground-water sources. Of the water withdrawn in Fairbanks, about two-thirds is treated to be suitable for domestic use, and the other one-third is for thermoelectric power use.

Figure 2. Monthly mean water withdrawal rate for public supply in the Anchorage, Fairbanks and, Juneau areas, 1990-96.

[ Water year 1996 contents page]

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Last modified: Friday, June 29, 2001