Consumptive use
Science› Energy› Renewable Energy
Solar Energy
(1) Any use of water that permanently removes water from the natural stream system. (2) Water that has been evaporated, transpired, incorporated into products, plant tissue, or animal tissue and is not available for immediate reuse. (3) Consumption of water for residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, agricultural, power generation, and recreational purposes. Naturally occurring vegetation and wildlife also consumptively use water. Water consumed is not available for other uses within the system.
- — Solar Energy Development PEIS Glossary retrieved 2014-06-15
Water
A use which lessens the amount of water available for another use. Water uses normally associated with man's activities, primarily municipal, industrial, and irrigation uses that deplete water supplies. Water removed from available supplies without direct return to a water resource system, for uses such as manufacturing, agriculture, and food preparation. A nonconsumptive use would be one such as boating or swimming. See beneficial use. Combined amounts of water needed for transpiration by vegetation and for evaporation from adjacent soil, snow, or intercepted precipitation. Also called: crop requirement, crop irrigation requirement, consumptive use requirement. See evapotranspiration.