Water

1. Earth's Water Supply

About 70% of Earth's surface is covered in water. While the total supply of water is fixed, it does cycle from ocean to atmosphere to land and back to the ocean through the water cycle. However, this does not change the total available water, which is finite.

Unfortunately, humans can't use seawater for household or drinking purposes unless it has been treated, which can be very expensive.

did you know

Approximately 97% of global water is seawater. The remaining 3% is freshwater and only 1% of that is accessible for human use. Freshwater can be found in glaciers, ice, below the ground, and in lakes and rivers.

2. Water Treatment

Some water can be used without any treatment, but the majority requires treatment before it is usable. Once water is found at its source, it is transported to a water treatment facility, like the one shown below, that can remove harmful contaminants and materials.

After that, it is taken to a storage facility, like the water tower shown below. It is stored there until it is needed. When needed, it will be distributed for use through methods such as faucets and sprinklers.

3. Global Water Consumption

Presently, water is used for drinking, food preparation, bathing, cleaning, and in toilets. Water is also used by fire departments for fire protection and by industries for various uses.

Water is not used equally across the planet. Different regions use water differently per capita. Developed regions like the United States and Europe use most of the water, though developing nations hold the majority of the world's population. This chart shows average water use per person per day in various nations.

At the time of making this tutorial, India and China hold approximately 35% of the world's population, yet only use around 80 or 140 liters per person per day respectively, while the United States averages almost 600 liters per person per day and holds only 4.4% of the world's population.