Water and Watts in the Southeast

Electric power production in the Southeast draws about 40 billion gallons of water daily (65 percent of total freshwater withdrawals)—about equal to the freshwater withdrawals for public supply across the entire country. Meanwhile, the energy needed nationally to treat water and wastewater can account for a more than 30 percent of municipal energy costs and an average home can spend upwards of $250 per year on energy needed for hot water.

In this report, the World Reseources Institute partnered with the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance and Southface to identify opportunities to advance solutions that address both energy and water challenges in the Southeast. "Watts and Water" provides a good overview of the water-energy nexus in the Southeast. A number of educational facts and numbers are presented, followed by policy recommendations that will help the minimize water and energy use.