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Water Kit - Hunter Water

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1.1 the water cycle<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

More than two thirds of the Earth’s<br />

surface is water, but only 3% of this is<br />

freshwater.<br />

Most of the 3% that is<br />

freshwater is locked up in polar ice<br />

caps, glaciers, the atmosphere and<br />

soil. Only a very small percentage of<br />

freshwater can be found in rivers, lakes<br />

and underground aquifers.<br />

The water cycle takes place around the<br />

world every moment of every day.<br />

Look up and you might see clouds<br />

building or transforming - that’s part of<br />

the water cycle. The rain falling on the<br />

ground or into waterways is part of the<br />

water cycle.<br />

Even theperspiration that you develop<br />

after physical activity joins the water<br />

cycle. These are all part of one amazing<br />

process that transforms water through<br />

different physical states - solid (hail,<br />

snow), liquid (rain), and vapour (mist,<br />

fog, perspiration).<br />

WATER IS IMPORTANT!<br />

There’s no point imagining daily life<br />

without water. The fact is we cannot<br />

live without it. It is crucial for the<br />

survival of all living organisms.<br />

Consider the following facts:<br />

• A human body is around 70%<br />

water. Our muscles have more<br />

water than any other body tissues,<br />

and our brains are 75% water.<br />

• We lose 3 to 3.5 litres of water<br />

in an average day, more in hot<br />

weather or when we exercise. So,<br />

we need to replace water in<br />

our body.<br />

• At most a person could survive<br />

three to four weeks without food,<br />

but less than one week without<br />

drinking water.<br />

• Lose 10% of your body water and<br />

you can barely walk. Lose 20%<br />

and you’re in real trouble. <strong>Water</strong><br />

cools the body, it helps carry<br />

nutrition through the system, and<br />

carries out wastes.<br />

DAILY WATER USE<br />

Think about how you use water<br />

every day.<br />

The table below provides a summary.<br />

where<br />

Home<br />

School<br />

Industry<br />

Agriculture<br />

Recreation<br />

Healthcare<br />

Ecosystems<br />

examples of water use<br />

Cooking<br />

Drinking<br />

Cleaning<br />

Bath and shower<br />

Toilet<br />

Washing cars<br />

Washing clothes<br />

Washing windows<br />

Gardens<br />

Pool<br />

Toilets<br />

Drinking<br />

Cooking<br />

Cleaning<br />

<strong>Water</strong> features and gardens<br />

Keeping fish, turtles, tadpoles<br />

Conducting lab experiments<br />

Making materials eg bricks, timber<br />

Dust minimisation spraying<br />

Mixing materials eg concrete<br />

Stock watering<br />

Irrigating crops and pastures<br />

Washing out dairy sheds<br />

Processing milk products<br />

Processing crops eg cotton<br />

Drinking<br />

Irrigation of sports fields, gardens<br />

Establishing shade trees<br />

Swimming pools<br />

Making sporting equipment, like<br />

goalposts, balls and wooden bats<br />

Cooking<br />

Drinking<br />

Cleaning<br />

Bathing<br />

Sterilising equipment<br />

Surgical operations<br />

Survival and habitat for animals<br />

Survival and growth for plants<br />

Flowing rivers, creeks, streams<br />

Moderator of temperature extremes<br />

Dissolving nutrients for uptake by<br />

plants and animals<br />

<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010 1

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