water5

Earth is a watery planet with over 70% of its surface covered by oceans.  Life started in the oceans and all life on earth depends on water for survival.  An adult person is approximately 65% water and could not survive for more than a day or two without it.  So water is life. 

While there is lots of water on the planet some 97.5% of it is salty and almost 2% of it is locked up as snow and ice around the North and South poles.  More is stored deeply underground so only 0.025% of the total water on earth is contained in rivers lakes and in the clouds.

 

This water is distributed very unevenly across the world with many areas experiencing desert or drought conditions.  Ireland is fortunate in having a plentiful supply of this vital renewable resource that falls as rain and returns to the sea through our rivers and lakes.