This report present estimates of Total Water and Tapwater intake in the population of the continental United States. The data used for the analysis were collected by the population-based 1977-78 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey (NFCS) conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. All food and beverage sources, as well as drinking water, are incorporated in the estimates of Total Water intake. Estimates of Tapwater intake include drinking water and tapwater added in final home or restaurant preparation of beverages and foods. Data are presented by age group, sex, season, and geographic region and separate estimates are provided for pregnant women, lactating women, and breast-fed children. The data may be useful for epidemiologic and clinical research and applied practice in nutrition, physiology, pharmacology, nutrition and toxicology; and in assessing the effects of intakes or exposures to dietary, therapeutic, or potentially hazardous compounds present in the water supply.
