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Of the 2.

5% of freshwater available for the


support of human life, agriculture, and most
forms of non-ocean life, 30.1% is groundwater.
Groundwater is the water stored deep beneath
the Earth's surface in underground aquifers.
Another 68.6% of all freshwater is stored in
glaciers and polar caps. That leaves only 1.3%
of the total freshwater on Earth is in
surface water sources such as lakes, rivers, and
streams. But it is surface water humans and other
species rely upon for their biological needs.
freshwater accounts for only 2.5% of the total.
Because the oceans that cover roughly 71% of
the area of the Earth
As a result, the vast bulk of the water on Earth is
regarded as saline or salt water, with an
average salinity of 35 (or 3.5%, roughly
equivalent to 34 grams of salts in 1 kg of
seawater)
The remainder of the Earth's water constitutes
the planet's fresh water resource. Typically, fresh
water is defined as water with a salinity of less
than 1 percent that of the oceans - i.e. below
around 0.35. Water with a salinity between this
level and 1 is typically referred to as marginal
water because it is marginal for many uses by
humans and animals. The ratio of salt water to
fresh water on Earth is around 40 to 1.
today most fresh water exists in the form of ice,
snow, groundwater and soil moisture, with only
0.3% in liquid form on the surface. Of the liquid
surface fresh water, 87% is contained in lakes,
11% in swamps, and only 2% in rivers. Small
quantities of water also exist in the atmosphere
and in living beings. Of these sources, only river
water is generally valuable.
Percentage of
water in earth

Water shortages may be caused by climate


change, such as altered weather-patterns
(including droughts or floods),
increased pollution, and increased human
demand and overuse of water.
Water is critical to future growth. But it can also
become the major limiting factor to growth. For
instance, businesses in water-scarce areas are
already at risk, and so investors are increasingly

taking water supply into consideration during


their decision-making processes.
In fact, 2.5 billion people (36% of the world
population) live in these regions and more than
20% of the global GDP is already produced in
risky, water-scarce areas affecting production, as
well as corporate reputations when competition
over water usages develops.
International Food Policy Research Institute
(IFPRI), found that 4.8 billion people more than
half the worlds population and approximately
half of global grain production will be at risk due
to water stress by 2050 if status quo, businessas-usual behavior is followed.
The IFPRI study also found that 45% of total GDP
($63 trillion) will be at risk due to water stress by
2050. Thats 1.5 times the size of todays entire
global economy!
By Dennis Dimick, National Geographic
Some shallow aquifers recharge from
surface water, but deeper aquifers contain
ancient water locked in the earth by
changes in geology thousands or millions of
years ago. These aquifers typically cannot
recharge, and once this "fossil" water is
gone, it is gone foreverpotentially
changing how and where we can live and
grow food, among other things.
-Local Water Utilities Administration
LWUA is the only Philippine water supply
institution with full expertise in developing Level
III (individual household connection) water supply
systems. Its competence spans the financial,
technical, institutional development and
regulatory aspects of water supply development.
It is also an expert in developing Level I
(communal well) and Level II (communal faucet)
systems. This expertise is often availed of by
other government institutions involved in the
development of these water supply systems.
LWUAs teams of engineers and technicians have
undergone extensive studies and trainings both
here and abroad, and have gained an unequalled
competence in water supply and sanitation
development through actual experiences in the
field. Their expertise includes all phases of
planning, design, construction supervision, and
operations and maintenance supervision,
including identification and development of water
sources and systems efficiency improvement.
With the overall success and sustainability of a
water district in mind, LWUA extends institutional
development assistance in the form of advisory
and managerial services; transfers policy-making,
managerial and technical competence to the
pertinent WD personnel through training
interventions; designs and provides water
districts with commercial practices systems for a
smoother commercial operation.

Kapatagan 4,461 population 2010

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