Water covers about 71 percent of Earth's surface, but did you know that only about 3 percent of that water is fresh water? Most of Earth's water is in the oceans, which are too salty to drink.

Fresh water is found in rivers, lakes, and underground. People use fresh water every day for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and growing food. Farmers need water to grow crops. Factories use water to make products. Animals and plants need water to survive.

Water moves in a cycle called the water cycle. The sun heats water in oceans, lakes, and rivers. This heat turns liquid water into water vapor, which rises into the air. This is called evaporation. When the vapor cools high in the sky, it turns back into tiny water droplets that form clouds. This is called condensation. When clouds hold too much water, the droplets fall back to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. This is called precipitation. The water flows into rivers and lakes or soaks into the ground, and the cycle starts again.

Water pollution is a serious problem. When people dump trash, chemicals, or waste into rivers and lakes, it makes the water unsafe for people and animals. Oil spills, factory runoff, and littering all harm our water.

We can help protect water by turning off the faucet when brushing teeth, taking shorter showers, fixing leaky pipes, and never throwing trash into waterways. Every drop counts.