Water and Watts

This briefing by the World Resources Institute examines the interdependent relationship between water and energy resources in the Southeastern United States. It highlights how electric power production relies heavily on freshwater for cooling, while water treatment and heating require significant energy, proposing policy priorities to improve efficiency in both sectors.

• Electric power production in the Southeast is a primary driver of freshwater withdrawals, with nearly two-thirds of total withdrawals going to thermoelectric power plants. These plants withdraw approximately 40 billion gallons of water daily, and about 140 billion gallons are lost annually to evaporation.
• Water and wastewater treatment are energy-intensive processes that can account for more than one-third of total municipal energy usage. On a national scale, moving or treating water and wastewater represents 4 percent of total electricity consumption.
• Heating water for residential and commercial use is a major energy consumer; in homes with electric water heaters, approximately 25 percent of household electricity is dedicated to heating water. An average home spends about $250 per year on the energy required for hot water.
• The Southeast region is experiencing increased pressure on both energy and water resources due to a population increase of nearly 20 percent over the last decade and frequent drought conditions. These pressures have led to interstate conflicts over river basins, specifically the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flint River Basin and the Catawba River.
• Implementing water efficiency programs could provide significant financial savings for major Southeast metropolitan areas compared to building new infrastructure. Estimated savings include $300–$700 million for Metropolitan Atlanta, $105–$220 million for Charlotte and Raleigh, and $45–$100 million for Columbia.
• Solar water heating systems offer a viable method to reduce electric power demands in the Southeast, potentially providing 40 to 80 percent of domestic water heating for homes or commercial buildings. In Florida alone, such systems could save more than 8,000 GWh of electricity.

APA

Chandler, J., Creech, D., Metzger, E., del Pino, S. P., Tapia, A., & Taube, B. (2009). Water and Watts. World Resources Institute. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/southeast_water_and_watts.pdf

Chicago

Chandler, Jess, Dennis Creech, Eliot Metzger, Samantha Putt del Pino, Alex Tapia, and Ben Taube. Water and Watts. World Resources Institute, 2009. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/southeast_water_and_watts.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chandler |first1=Jess |last2=Creech |first2=Dennis |last3=Metzger |first3=Eliot |last4=del Pino |first4=Samantha Putt |last5=Tapia |first5=Alex |last6=Taube |first6=Ben |title=Water and Watts |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=April 2009 |url=https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/southeast_water_and_watts.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chandler2009water, author = {Chandler, Jess and Creech, Dennis and Metzger, Eliot and del Pino, Samantha Putt and Tapia, Alex and Taube, Ben}, title = {{Water and Watts}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/southeast_water_and_watts.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }