HOW DO WE USE WATER?
All the World’s water
An incredible amount of water covers Earth. Look at a globe. The blue area represents the water.
There are about 200 billion liters (53 billion gallons) of water for each person on Earth!
There is not always enough water to drink, however.
Most of the Earth’s water is salty ocean water. Salt water is fine for sea creatures. But it is not
fine for humans and most other animals.
Only 3 percent of Earth’s water is fresh water. Fresh water is an important resource that we need
every day.
Water for Everything Living
We need to drink fresh water to live. All day, we lose water from our bodies. We lose it when we
sweat and when we get rid of waste. We drink water to replace the water we lose
We use fresh water in other ways, too. Think about the water you use to wash dishes and to cook.
You use water to brush your teeth. You also use water when you take a shower or bath.
Water for Farming
Farmers use fresh water to grow crops. Much of the fresh water in the United States is used for
farming.
Many farms are in areas without much rainfall. Farmers irrigate to keep their crops alive. This
means that they bring in the water for their crops.
Water for Building
People also use water as a resource to build things. They use water to mix concrete for floors and
walls. They use water to make the paint that adds color to buildings.
People use water to make metal and glass, too. They need these materials to make most
buildings.
It All Adds Ups
People depend on fresh water every day. They use it for drinking, for growing food, and for
building.
People in the United States use a lot of fresh water. Each person uses about 378 liters (100
gallons) of water each day. That amount would fill two and a half bathtubs. That is a lot of
water!
rue or False Statements
1. Most of the Earth’s water is fresh water.
False – Only 3% of Earth’s water is fresh water, and the rest is salty ocean water.
Fresh water is necessary for human survival.
o True – Humans need fresh water to drink and stay hydrated.
Salt water from the oceans is safe for humans to drink.
o False – Salt water is not safe for humans to drink because it contains too much
salt.
Farmers in areas with little rainfall often use irrigation to water their crops.
o True – In areas with low rainfall, farmers use irrigation to bring in water for their
crops.
Humans use fresh water only for drinking.
o False – Fresh water is also used for cooking, washing dishes, bathing, and many
other daily activities.
The Earth has enough fresh water for everyone to drink.
o False – While there is a large amount of fresh water on Earth, it is not always
accessible or evenly distributed.
Sweating and going to the bathroom are ways we lose water from our bodies.
o True – We lose water through sweat and waste elimination, which is why we
need to drink water to stay hydrated.
Fresh water makes up 97% of Earth's total water supply.
o False – Fresh water makes up only 3% of Earth’s total water supply, with the
remaining 97% being salt water from the oceans.
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