ABSTRACT We used an adapted water resources ecological footprint model with two sub-models to assess water resources’ status and usage. One sub-model is the water consumption ecological footprint, encompassing household, productive, and ecological consumption. The other is the water pollution ecological footprint, analysing primary pollution indicators: chemical oxygen demand and ammonia nitrogen. Results revealed that 89% of the total water resources ecological footprint was attributed to consumption, whereas only 11% was due to pollution. We found a gradual increase in the water resources ecological footprint from 2010 to 2020, with Xi’an consistently exhibiting the highest value. Despite a slight reduction in water resources ecological pressure due to new environmental policies, the carrying capacity declined annually. Encouragingly, there was a noticeable improvement in water use efficiency. This study advances theory and implementation of water resources ecological footprint, and elucidates the interrelationship among economic development, water resource pressure, and utilization.