Water is the world’s most important resource, without it life on Earth would not exist. We rely on it for everything from drinking supplies, to its use in agriculture, to supporting animal and plant life around the world. Approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water but not all of it is available to us for use.
Over 96% of the world water is held in our oceans and only 2.5% of Earth’s water is freshwater. Of this 2.5% of freshwater the majority is trapped in glaciers and ice-caps with the remainder being groundwater or surface water such as lakes and rivers.
In Ireland we rely heavily on groundwater, it supplies 20-25% of our drinking water supplies and in some counties it supplies up to 50%. In rural areas not served by water schemes it is the only source of drinking water with these areas relying on wells and springs. Links below will allow you to explore the following themes:
