North Carolina Agricultural Water Use 2020

NORTH
CAROLINA
Agricultural Water Use

2020

NCDA&CS 2 W. Edenton Street Raleigh, NC 27601
(919)707-3333 Internet: http://www.ncagr.gov/stats
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N O RT H CAR O LINA

2020 Agricultural Water Use Survey
The ninth statewide survey was conducted to document
water use for the agricultural sector during 2020. As directed in
legislation enacted in 2008 (SL2008-0143), the North Carolina
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Agricultural
Statistics Division, is required to collect annual information from
farmers who withdraw 10,000 gallons or more in any one day.
Individual responses remain confidential and are only used in
combination with other reports to produce totals.

Of the farms surveyed in the state, 852 withdrew over 10,000
gallons of water in any one day. Soil conditions were considered
normal throughout the majority of the state for the entire year.
July was the largest water use month in 2020, averaging 83.6
million gallons daily, with a maximum daily withdrawal of 204.1
million gallons. The annual average daily water usage for 2020 was
50.2 million gallons. The daily withdrawal capacity for the 852
operations totaled 1.2 billion gallons in 2020.

Farmers who use over 1,000,000 gallons in any one day are
required to report their water usage directly to the Department
of Environmental Quality (DEQ). DEQ’s report can be found
on http://www.ncwater.org/Permits_and_Registration/Water_
Withdrawal_and_Transfer_Registration/report .

A questionnaire was mailed to operations which had potential
for large water usage. Operations that did not respond were
contacted by telephone follow-up. In addition, livestock and
poultry contractors in the state were contacted by email, phone, or
mail.

The unique number of operations, the annual average daily
ground and surface usage, as well as the capacity is published by
county and by hydrologic unit codes (HUC). The capacity is the
potential amount of ground and/or surface water that could be
withdrawn in a 24-hour period. The published capacity represents
the sum of capacities for all reporting operations in that county
or HUC. In nearly all cases, this capacity was never met. Data
was not disclosed if there were less than three operations in any
category or if one report comprised 60 percent or more of the
total.

When looking at agricultural water use from a total volume
withdrawn perspective, table 1 on page 4 is most representative
of total water use. Because farms that withdraw the largest
amounts of water do not make those withdrawals every day, the
average daily use across all days of the year is most representative
of relative volumes used. On average, farm operations that use
irrigation will withdraw water about 17 days each month. Field
crop operations use water even less often, primarily to supplement
rainfall. While there are other agricultural users of water,
including livestock and poultry producers, aquaculture farms,
and others, the largest volume of water use is from irrigators. The
average North Carolina farm that uses water does so infrequently
and in relatively small amounts. Table 2 on page 7 displays
“demand” use, which is calculated by dividing the total water
withdrawn for the month by the days applied.

One survey instrument was used to gather data for the
whole state as well as for the Central Coastal Plain Capacity Use
Area (CCPCUA). Results for the CCPCUA are summarized and
published in a separate table.

The results of this survey reflect water withdrawals from
ground and surface sources. Many comparisons across sectors
will incorporate an estimate of consumptive use of withdrawals.
The definition of a consumptive use varies depending on
the source. Most experts in agricultural sciences consider
consumptive use to be the amount of water that is either taken
up by plants, or evaporated. According to an Economic Research
Service (USDA) report, irrigation consumptive use on farms is
about 61 percent of total withdrawals nationally. This can vary
greatly between regions depending on the type of system used and
efficiency of the irrigation equipment. https://www.ers.usda.gov/
webdocs/publications/41964/30286_wateruse.pdf?v=41143

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Table 1: Total & Average Daily Water Withdrawn 1
2020 North Carolina Water Use by Month
Month

Operations

Monthly Total
Ground

MonthlyTotal
Surface

Average Across
All Days-Ground

Average Across
All Days-Surface

Gallons

Gallons

Gallons

Gallons

Number
January

577

263,728,887

934,486,708

8,507,383

30,144,733

February

587

248,631,534

960,291,109

8,573,501

33,113,487

March

638

300,584,795

1,152,149,899

9,696,284

37,166,126

April

683

426,523,740

1,043,747,472

14,217,458

34,791,582

May

705

613,141,470

1,262,119,415

19,778,757

40,713,530

June

750

748,971,036

1,403,486,729

24,965,701

46,782,891

July

785

828,172,085

1,761,943,317

26,715,229

56,836,881

August

724

661,318,598

1,282,356,706

21,332,858

41,366,345

September

661

540,809,597

874,879,020

18,026,987

29,162,634

October

626

327,480,338

811,973,635

10,563,882

26,192,698

November

584

288,107,861

694,612,911

9,603,595

23,153,764

December

556

274,021,781

669,708,378

8,839,412

21,603,496

15,068,421

35,085,681

Annual Average
Operations :

Daily Withdrawal Capacity (incl. ground & surface):

852 Total Operations

1,154,025,613 Gallons

Users of 10,000 gallons or more per day. Averages reported in this table reflect the average water withdrawn across all days of the month. Farms that
reported their withdrawals directly to DEQ by July25, 2021 have been excluded. The monthly number of operations will not add to the total. Some
operations reported both surface and ground water withdrawals, which are counted twice in the monthly number of operations. However, the total number
of operations represents operations that withdrew water at any time during the year, regardless if withdrawn from multiple sources.

1

Average Across All Days
Ground & Surface Water Withdrawals
2008–2020

Million Gallons

200
180

2008

160

2009

140

2011

2010
2012

120

2014

100

2016

80

2018
2020

60
40
20
0
Jan
4

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2020 Annual Water Withdrawals by Percent

Nursery/Greenhouse
12%

Poultry
4%

Hogs
13%

Fruit/Vegetables
11%

Aquaculture*
43%

Field Crops
16%
Other Livestock**
1%

*95% of aquaculture water withdrawals occurred in western counties from rivers and streams and are typically flow through /non-consumptive.
** Other Livestock includes cattle, horses, goats, sheep, etc.

Gallons

2020 Average Daily Water Withdrawals

24,000,000
22,000,000
20,000,000
18,000,000
16,000,000
14,000,000
12,000,000
10,000,000
8,000,000
6,000,000
4,000,000
2,000,000
Gallons 0

Poultry

Hogs

Aquaculture *

Other
Livestock **

Field Crops

Fruit/
Vegetables

Nursery/
Greenhouse

*95% of aquaculture water withdrawals occurred in western counties from rivers and streams and are typically flow through non-consumptive **Other
Livestock includes cattle, horses, goats, sheep, etc.
5

2020 Annual Surface Water Withdrawals
Operation
Counts

Volume*

Lakes &
Ponds
33%

Rivers &
Streams
101
Rivers &
Streams
67%

Lakes &
Ponds
248

*42% of River & Stream Withdrawals were made by aquaculture operations from the western portion of the state and are typically flow
through/non-consumptive.

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Table 2: Demand Use for Days Applied 1
2020 North Carolina Water Use by Month
Month

Average Days
Applied Ground

Average Days
Applied Surface

Total Average
Daily-Ground

Total Average
Daily-Surface

Total Max
Daily-Ground

Total Max
Daily-Surface

Days

Days

Gallons

Gallons

Gallons

Gallons

January

28

16

9,102,816

31,769,976

10,159,877

31,825,204

February

26

March

27

14

9,422,238

66,893,013

11,741,692

67,935,459

14

14,390,549

87,310,801

19,484,872

April

95,781,102

27

14

18,358,876

69,609,064

21,397,981

74,724,785

May

27

16

28,745,536

61,612,916

38,962,148

66,462,998

June

26

16

42,922,739

80,448,462

53,096,939

106,428,565

July

27

16

46,089,362

128,241,068

56,502,456

147,587,760

August

27

17

37,639,601

66,105,112

46,447,662

83,556,809

September

27

16

28,318,520

62,257,848

32,872,056

66,084,195

October

28

17

12,752,252

30,198,023

14,788,496

33,371,700

November

28

16

10,692,312

25,211,337

12,614,229

25,491,063

December

27

17

10,034,459

23,114,649

11,874,149

23,161,417

22,372,438

61,064,356

Annual Average
1

Users of 10,000 gallons or more per day. Averages reported in this table reflect the average water withdrawn during the days of application. Farms that
reported their withdrawals directly to DEQ by July 25, 2021 have been excluded.

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2020 North Carolina Water Use
County Summary
County

Annual
Unique
Average
Operations 1 Daily 2
Ground
Number

Alexander

Gallons
5

Daily
Withdrawal
Capacity 3

Gallons

County

Gallons

Annual
Unique
Average
Operations 1 Daily 2
Ground
Number

46,578

*

816,629

Gallons

Annual
Average
Daily 2
Surface

Daily
Withdrawal
Capacity 3

Gallons

Gallons

Surry

10

72,988

*

*
8,849,980

Anson

10

69,683

*

*

Union

17

186,302

*

Bertie

8

103,746

*

*

Warren

7

52,060

*

*

Bladen

66

1,027,201

405,835

163,364,105

Wayne

16

262,961

*

4,995,400

Wilkes

Chatham

8

31,030

*

*

Columbus

8

126,717

*

2,285,296

Duplin

90

1,832,437

*

35,556,981

Edgecombe

11

76,473

*

16,631,180

Greene

11

113,878

*

*

Halifax

9

93,630

*

*

Harnett

15

94,050

*

11,313,914

Haywood

4

*

60,341

*

Hertford

10

132,106

*

*

Johnston

22

100,980

458,019

*

Jones

13

228,778

*

755,267

9

12,673

*

5,629,319

10

116,713

*

*
2,117,864

Lee
Lenoir
Montgomery

8

37,680

*

Nash

12

200,010

506,500

*

Northampton

19

282,266

*

21,562,536

Pender

18

386,152

*

142,284,354

Pitt

13

184,405

*

9,387,126

Richmond

10

127,083

*

2,605,531

Robeson

48

3,098,208

*

83,489,564

Rockingham

10

*

79,761

6,797,534

6

19,402

*

*

Sampson

85

1,867,239

*

39,494,521

Scotland

15

213,945

*

760,369

Rowan

8

Annual
Average
Daily 2
Surface

18

97,470

*

2,417,192

Other
Counties4

231

3,773,577

33,575,225

599,708,485

State

852

15,068,421

35,085,681 1,154,025,613

* disclosure - one operation is greater than 60% of total or less than
3 operations reported. 1 represents the unique # of operations which
withdrew surface and or ground water 2 represents the average
across all days of the year 3 includes ground and surface 4 includes
nondisclosed data from the table above and all data for counties not
listed in the above table.

2020 North Carolina Water Use - Hydrologic Unit Code Summary
Hydrologic Unit
Code

Annual
Average Daily 2
Ground

Unique
Operations 1
Number

Gallons

Annual
Average Daily 2
Surface

Daily
Withdrawal
Capacity 3

Gallons

Gallons

03010104

10

*

43,756

*

03010107

19

244,389

*

32,838,999

03010203

21

284,946

*

25,497,001

03010204

9

113,724

*

*

03020101

24

207,278

351,476

21,957,435

03020102

12

85,971

423,250

8,107,483

03020103

11

187,960

*

16,146,829

03020201

40

201,973

751,390

52,669,949

3020202

22

288,055

78,736

18,447,011

03020203

29

280,728

252,708

30,694,842

03020204

8

80,192

*

*

03020302

6

153,080

*

1,378,014

03030002

32

*

1,310,371

29,130,189

03030004

22

171,592

*

11,455,457

03030005

15

228,023

*

*

03030006

107

1,827,949

466,925

68,145,811

03030007

118

2,325,940

*

158,599,339

03040101

35

188,002

*

13,757,725

03040102

9

73,170

*

4,390,315

03040103

59

611,879

1,353,485

147,639,042

03040104

11

52,082

46,531

2,421,375

03040105

22

*

85,757

21,386,077

3040203

46

2,806,461

*

46,152,121

03040206

11

230,233

*

*

03050101

12

*

215,031

*

03050105

10

138,707

*

1,450,697

06010106

4

*

60,341

*

Other Hucs4

128

4,286,087

29,645,924

441,759,902

State

852

15,068,421

35,085,681

1,154,025,613

* disclosure - one operation is greater than 60% of total or less than 3 operations reported. represents the unique # of operations
which withdrew surface and or ground water 2 represents the average across all days of the year 3 includes ground and surface
4
includes nondisclosed data from the table above and all data for HUCS not listed in the above table.

1

9

2020 Central Coastal Plain Total Water Use by Month 1
Month

Operations

Average Across
All Days-Ground

Average Across
All Days-Surface

Total Max
Daily-Ground

Total Max
Daily-Surface

Gallons

Gallons

Gallons

Gallons

Number
January

155

2,530,924

1,379,092

2,747,382

1,394,722

February

154

2,523,255

1,866,967

4,234,103

13,770,414

March

167

2,757,286

2,464,568

4,512,277

11,772,676

April

172

3,208,187

2,668,582

3,892,579

9,861,145

May

176

2,807,294

2,991,964

3,521,858

5,098,431

June

181

3,254,759

5,072,888

4,694,627

11,888,306

July

177

4,079,550

5,242,437

5,770,649

15,077,721

August

171

3,372,417

4,404,087

4,459,480

7,969,799

September

162

3,416,644

3,318,970

3,937,114

9,715,922

October

159

2,872,971

2,397,634

3,415,856

2,637,659

November

154

2,571,549

1,628,976

2,838,279

1,774,839

December

149

2,614,755

1,250,777

2,910,606

1,250,777

3,000,799

2,890,579

Annual Average
Operations:

Daily Withdrawal Capacity (incl. ground & surface):

191 Total Operations

210,227,464 Gallons

Users of 10,000 gallons or more per day. Averages reported in this table reflect the average water withdrawn across all days of the month. Farms that reported
their withdrawals directly to DEQ by July 25, 2021 have been excluded. The total number of operations represents operations that withdrew water at any time
during the year. Central Coastal Plain Counties include Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Edgecombe, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Onslow, Pamlico, Pitt,
Washington, Wayne, and Wilson

1

Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUC)
04
030101

03010103

03040101

03010102

06010108

03020201
03040103

03030003

03020203

02

03020104

03
501
030

03030004

00
03
03

03040203

03030007

05
03040206

08
402
030

10

03020105

03020204

03030006

04
02
04
03

03040201

03020202

03020301

030
203
02

02

03040202

030
401
04

03

03050105
03040105

03060101
03060102

03010205

03010107

03020103

06010105

01
05
03

06
101
060

02
01
06

02
01
06
03060102

03020101

03030002
03040102

03050101

06020002
06020003

030102
04

030
201
02

06010103

06010204

03010201

03010106

0301
0203

01
500
050

Statistical Defensibility
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Agricultural Statistics Division
conducted a census of all known farm operations in North Carolina which had farming types that could
potentially use more than 10,000 gallons of water in one day. More than 3,300 such operations were
contacted and included farms with a history of withdrawing more than 10,000 gallons on any one day
from surface or ground sources. Also included were operations with large numbers of poultry, hogs,
cattle, aquaculture, fruits, vegetables, nursery/ greenhouse crops, tobacco, or other field crops which
are often irrigated. A 79% response rate was attained via mail, phone, or electronically via the web or
email. Historical data for all respondents was reviewed to insure comparability with previous surveys.
Operations were offered work sheets which assisted them, if necessary, in reporting their withdrawals.
The Census of Agriculture List, the most comprehensive source of farms, was used as the basis for this
survey. Although no under-coverage estimator has been applied, the list of NC farmers is expanded on
a daily basis as new operations are discovered through routine list building activities. Since agricultural
operations that withdraw at least 10,000 gallons of water per day tend to be larger, more intensive farms,
under-coverage for this survey is minimal based on historic surveys with similar operations. When
reasonable, non-respondents’ usage was estimated based on their own historical reports.
Taking the above steps, including conducting a census of all known farm operations that use at least
10,000 gallons of water on any one day, results in zero sampling error around the estimates and minimal
non-sampling and coverage error. A nonresponse adjustment expansion factor was applied. It was
derived by dividing the universe count by the count of records with usable data.
Prior to the 2008 NC Agricultural Water Use Survey, there was no official statistically defensible data set
to represent agricultural water use in North Carolina.

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