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Where is Earth's Water?

"Water, Water, Everywhere...."
You've heard the phrase, and for water, it really is true. Earth's water is (almost) everywhere: above the Earth in the air and clouds, on the surface of the Earth in , , , , in living organisms, and inside the Earth in the top few miles of the .

For an estimated explanation of where Earth's water exists, look at this bar chart. You may know that the water cycle describes the movement of Earth's water, so realize that the chart and table below represent the presence of Earth's water at a single point in time. If you check back in a million years, no doubt these numbers will be different!

Left bar: All water, freshwater and , on, in, and above the Earth.

Center bar: All freshwater

Right bar: Only the portion of freshwater residing in surface water (rivers and lakes, etc), snow and ice, and relatively-shallow ground water.

Here is a bar chart showing where all water on, in, and above the Earth exists. The left-side bar chart shows how almost all of Earth's water is saline and is found in the oceans. Of the small amount that is actually freshwater, only a relatively small portion is available to sustain human, plant, and animal life.

In the first bar, notice how only 2.5% of Earth's water is freshwater - the amount needed for life to survive.

The middle bar shows the breakdown of freshwater. Almost all of it is locked up in ice and in the ground. Only a little more than 1.2% of all freshwater is surface water, which serves most of life's needs.

The right bar shows the breakdown of surface freshwater. Most of this water is locked up in ice, and another 20.9% is found in lakes. Rivers make up 0.49% of surface freshwater. Although rivers account for only a small amount of freshwater, this is where humans get a large portion of their water.

One estimate of global water distribution Source: Igor Shiklomanov's chapter "World fresh water resources" in Peter H. Gleick (editor), 1993, Water in Crisis: A Guide to the World's Fresh Water Resources (Oxford University Press, New York).
(Percents are rounded, so will not add to 100)

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"Water, Water, Everywhere...." You've heard the phrase, and for water, it really is true. Earth's water is (almost) everywhere: above the Earth in the air and clouds , on the surface of the Earth in , , , , in living organisms, and inside the Earth in the top few miles of the .

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The Basics of Freshwater: Crash Course Kids 14.1

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Clean fresh water is vital to our lives and many of the plants and animals we depend on. Most people think water pollution comes directly from a factory or other known source, a type of pollution known as "point source pollution." Because of laws passed in the 1970s, most of those sources of pollution have cleaned up their act. Today, the biggest source of pollution is us - you and me. This type of pollution is known as "nonpoint source pollution" because it can't be traced to one single source; we can't tell how much pollution is coming from where.

Types of nonpoint pollution that ultimately end up in our waterways include used oil poured into storm drains, soil washed from construction sites, grease from restaurants, paint brushes cleaned in the street, or fertilizer and pesticides washed off farm fields and city lawns. That's why it is so important for all of us to clean up our act and learn how to prevent such pollution.

The Foundation's "No-Know Game" can help you learn about bad pollution practices and how to prevent pollution. Consider these two examples from Your Garage:

"Henry dumps the oil he drains from his car onto the ground in the backyard, which drains into the Dirty Old River. The oil from 1 engine can produce an oil slick of 8 acres on the river! That's a No-Know. Go back 2 squares."

"Henrietta recycles the oil and antifreeze by placing them separately in clean plastic containers and taking them to the recycling center and local gas station. Put-'er-there, Pard!"

Once you play this game, you'll never be able to say, "Oh no! I didn't know," again.

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Water Quality - Water Education Foundation

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Clean fresh water is vital to our lives and many of the plants and animals we depend on. Most people think water pollution comes directly from a factory or other known source, a type of pollution known as "point source pollution." Because of laws passed in the 1970s, most of those sources of pollution have cleaned up their act.

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How much water does it take to make YOUR favorite food?

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People use water for direct and indirect purposes. Direct purposes include bathing, drinking and cooking. In most developed countries, urban water users are connected to water through their municipal water delivery system and their home plumbing system. People turn on the tap, water comes out and they use it. Indirect water (also called "virtual water") use refers to the water used to produce the goods and services others need and enjoy.

For example, think about the water needed to make a box of cereal so you can enjoy a bowl of corn flakes? The flakes are crispy and dry, so they may wonder how water is involved at all. To grow, manufacture and package food products such as corn flakes takes a huge amount of water. The corn was almost certainly irrigated while it was being grown, and the factory that manufactures the flakes used water in almost every step of the process, from cleaning the corn before the manufacturing process started to rinsing away what was left behind. Even the paper box that holds the flakes required large quantities of water to produce.

How much water does it take to make an avocado: 43 gallons

A gallon of orange juice: 272.2 gallons

A 200gm bag of potato chips: 48.9 gallons

A pair of jeans: 2,866 gallons

A pound of beef: 1,581 gallons

A cheeseburger (1/3 pound beef patty, I slice of cheese, slice of tomato, a lettuce leaf, and bun): 698.5 gallons

A pound of pork sausage: 1,176.7 gallons

A pound of butter: 3,602.3 gallons

One large egg: 22.8 gallons

One pound of rice: 200 gallons

Figures obtained from The Green Blue Book: The Simple Water Savings Guide to Everything in Your Life by Thomas M. Kostigen

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Water Use: Virtual Water - Water Education Foundation

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People use water for direct and indirect purposes. Direct purposes include bathing, drinking and cooking. In most developed countries, urban water users are connected to water through their municipal water delivery system and their home plumbing system. People turn on the tap, water comes out and they use it.

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"In a drought, experts say drinking purified wastewater is an option"

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"In a drought, experts say drinking purified wastewater is an option"

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LOS ANGELES, Calif. — California has had very little rain for years. Water is getting very scarce there.

California's problem is known as a drought. People are afraid the drought will continue. They worry that the state will not have enough water. Many places already have much too little water.

Experts say they know a way to help.

There is one big problem, though — many people find the experts' plan disgusting. Just hearing about it makes them say "yuck!"

The experts want California to try something known as potable reuse. The word "potable" means drinkable.

The idea is to reuse wastewater, also known as sewage. Wastewater is water that is undrinkable because something unhealthy has been dumped into it.

Think about when we go to the bathroom, for example. The water that is flushed away becomes wastewater.

Wastewater has a lot of poop in it. There is a lot of other unhealthy stuff in it as well.

Experts say sewage can be carefully cleaned. Then, it can be reused as perfectly safe drinking water.

Idea Has Worked In Other Places

The idea of drinking "toilet water" makes some people want to throw up. However, cleaned sewage has been reused as drinking water for years. Several cities in Texas do it, for example.

In California, the idea has not been popular.

A cartoon helped turn people against potable reuse back in 1994. It shows a dog drinking from a toilet bowl. A man next to him orders the animal to “move over” so he can drink too.

People against potable reuse call it the “toilet to tap” plan. The name makes the idea sound disgusting. So far, Californians have not been willing to give it a try.

Still, supporters are pushing the idea again. They say the time has finally come for Californians to accept potable reuse. The idea makes sense now that water is so scarce, they say. It particularly makes sense for large coastal cities such as Los Angeles.

Drought Is Changing Some People's Minds

Coastal cities pour billions of gallons of sewage into the Pacific Ocean each year. They could save that wastewater instead, supporters of reuse say. It could be cleaned and turned into drinking water.

Tim Quinn is a California water expert. The water dumped into the ocean each year is "lost forever,” he said. It could be used to help millions of Californians instead.

California's terrible drought is finally changing some people's minds.

Donald Schultz once fought hard to stop reuse in Los Angeles. Now, he says he might support a new plan.

“You know, toilet to tap might be the only answer at this point,” Schultz said.

Supporters Say Plan Will Help 8 Million Californians

Water expert George Tchobanoglous strongly supports potable reuse. Cleaned-up sewage could be used to supply water to around 8 million Californians, he said.

Potable reuse is nothing to worry about, supporters say. Wastewater is cleaned many times and very carefully before it is declared ready to drink. Everything dangerous is removed, they say.

Supporters say the wastewater ends up cleaner than most bottled waters.

Critics Say You Can't Get Rid Of All The Bad Stuff

Those who are against potable reuse do not agree. They believe even the most careful cleaning will not get rid of everything harmful.

Scientist Steven Oppenheimer said he would not drink "toilet to tap" water. However, he said he would use it for cleaning and even bathing.

Allison Chan is an expert on potable reuse. She says many people end up supporting reuse after they learn more about it. However, that is not true for everyone.

Some people never change their minds, Chan said. They just cannot stop feeling that the whole idea is "yucky."

(Source:  Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela staff, https://newsela.com/articles/sewage-drinkingwater/id/10274/

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The water you drank this morning might have been the same water that once rained down on a Tyrannosaurus, froze on a woolly mammoth, flowed down the Nile to bring new silt to an Egyptian farm - or filled the bathing pool of Julius Caesar. The water we use now is the same supply that has been on Earth for billions of years. Its quality is renewed again and again by the natural water (hydrologic) cycle.

Water itself is the only substance that exists in liquid, gas and solid form - the keys to the water cycle. Here's how the cycle works:

Water evaporates from oceans, rivers and lakes (water in its liquid form) and rises into the atmosphere (water in its gas form) where it condenses to form clouds. Precipitation then falls to the earth in the form of rain (water in its liquid) or snow (water in its solid form) where it flows into oceans, rivers and lakes and the process begins again.

Water is the most precious renewable resource on Earth, defining our planet as a glowing blue marble floating in the frozen black of space. Life cannot exist without water - this includes humans who cannot live more than a few days without water. Although water covers 71 percent of the Earth's surface, fresh water is limited - 97% is salt water. Of the remaining 3%, less than 1% is the fresh water that flows in our streams and lakes or is stored in our groundwater aquifers.

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The Water Cycle - Water Education Foundation

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The water you drank this morning might have been the same water that once rained down on a Tyrannosaurus, froze on a woolly mammoth, flowed down the Nile to bring new silt to an Egyptian farm - or filled the bathing pool of Julius Caesar.

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"When the well is dry, we learn the worth of water."

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"When the well is dry, we learn the worth of water."

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-Ben Franklin

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Learn how icebergs form and move and create floating islands of fresh water where unexpected life can flourish.

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What's below the tip of the iceberg? - Camille Seaman

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We use water every day. Take a look at the importance water plays in our daily lives.

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Interactive activities about water topics including water cycle, ocean, fresh water, watersheds, water conservation and protection, indirect and direct water use and water and health for elementary and middle school students and their teachers.

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How much water do your common household items use?

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How much water do your common household items use?

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Take this quiz to find out!
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/puzzlesquizzes/water-wiz/

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Why do some places use more fresh water than others?

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Why do some places use more fresh water than others?

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Things to think about...

Can you think of some reasons that states use more water?

Could climate have anything to do with water use?

Do more people live in one place than another?

Do people do different types of work in different parts of the country?

Can you find your own state? Why do you think it uses the amount of water shown here?

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Which states use the most water? Water science questions and answers, from the USGS Water Science School

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Which states use the most water? Water science questions and answers, from the USGS Water Science School

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How does the annual amount of precipitation in the U.S. relate to the climate and the type of land?