Poster Presentation Freshwater Sciences 2023

Little is known about the effects from water bottling extraction in the United States (#644)

Ian Waite 1
  1. U.S. Geological Survey, Portland, OREGON, United States

Consumption of bottled water has been growing steadily in the United States; it is No. 1 beverage consumed in the United States by volume for sixth year in a row. Yet, the impacts, both hydrologic and socio-economic, of water extraction for bottling have not been systematically assessed at a regional nor national scale. There currently is no comprehensive national inventory of water bottling facilities including the volume extracted and the associated source of the water. Through FY2021 Appropriations, Congress directed U.S. Geological Survey to initiate research to better understand the effects of water extraction for bottling on hydrologic conditions and water availability. Multiple approaches will be used to investigate the effects of water bottling facilities at different spatial scales. Major components include: developing a national inventory of water bottling facilities and identifying data gaps; conducting hydrologic studies in various regions of the U.S. to better understand the local or regional impacts of water bottling facilities on the water table and streamflow, saltwater intrusion, or concentrations of contaminants; and studying the effects of water bottling facilities on society, ecology, or the environment through national analysis of the water bottling inventory. We are in year three of a six-year study, we are finalizing the initial national inventory though data gaps still exist, and six detailed case studies are underway in select regions with relatively high densities of facilities. Preliminary results show that the source water for a majority of water bottling facilities is public-supply (municipal systems, ~73%) and about 24% are self-supplied, meaning they directly extract water from a nearby source, typically a groundwater well or spring. Results of scenario testing of the effects of water bottling extraction for three of the case studies based on detailed local and regional models will be discussed along with implications from Water Footprint models.