kss

• The Water Cycle


  1. Water is evaporated into the air from the lakes, rivers and oceans by the sun

  2. Clouds form as the air is cooled and saturated

  3. The clouds keep gaining droplets until they get heavy and the water falls to the ground as rain or snow depending on the temperature

  4. Water hits the ground and then flows into rivers, lakes and back to the ocean

  5. Then it starts again

  
• The water cycle is constantly circulating; it never stops
• We can't control where it will rain and the amount of rain each area receives, which therefore affects the amount of water available for use

  
• We must be careful with the water we have in our area no matter where we live
• All life on Earth needs clean and potable water to survive
• You can go for many days without eating food but not without drinking water
• Have you ever been dehydrated? That's what happens when the body doesn't get the water needed
• Our oceans have 97% of the water on Earth but the salt in this water makes it undrinkable
• The ice caps and glaciers make up another 2% that is unusable
• Only 1% of the Earth's water is available for us to use
• Water is very important to all life because all living creatures would die without it
• We need water to drink and we also need it to keep our bodies, clothes and cutlery clean
• We also use water for other things, such as cooking
• Trees and other plants need water to live and grow
• Without plants, there would be no air on Earth to survive
• Many countries are lucky because people can go to a tap and get clean, fresh water
• In some countries, people may have to walk for several kilometres to fill buckets from rivers to collect water, which may be unsafe to drink
• Approximately 784 million people have no safe drinking water
• In many areas around the world, floods, droughts and storms cause water problems, like polluted water, which means it is unsafe to drink
• It is important that we all make sure we do not waste the water we have
• Ways to save water

  • Take short showers to get clean instead of having a bath
  • Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth
  • Don't leave the water running while washing the dishes, fill the sink up instead
  • Wear clothes and use towels more than once before washing
  • Collect rainwater for watering plants
• Without plants, we would not have air to survive
• Where you live, the amount of rain that falls and how water is collected and reserved all affect the amount of cool, clear water available
• Ways water is used in Australia

  • Drinking
  • Preparing food
  • Bathing
  • Washing
  • Watering plants
• Industries that produce metals, wood, paper products and chemicals are major water users
• Almost every manufactured product uses water during some part of the production process
• Water can be used for purposes, such as washing, diluting, fabricating, processing, cooling or transporting a product
• Without water, there would be no food grown in Australia
• Almost 70% of the water used worldwide is for agricultural use
• Most of this water is used for irrigation (watering crops)
• In Australia, sheep, cattle and grain farming uses the most water
• The Murray-Darling Basin produces enough food to feed over 20 million people
• The Murray River is often described as the lifeblood of Australia
• Water is also used to produce electricity
• In Australia, hydroelectric power is commonly generated from water stored in dams
• In Tasmania, hydro-energy is particularly important as it provides most of the state's electricity
• Hydropower plants work by capturing the energy of falling water to generate electricity
• Leisure activities that water provides opportunities for

  • Sailing
  • Boating
  • Water sports
  • Fishing
  • Swimming
  • Birdwatching
  • Bushwalking
  • Photography
  • Surfing
  • Scuba diving
• Approximately 784 million people have no access to safe drinking water
• In some countries, people may have to walk for several kilometres to fill buckets from rivers to collect water that isn't always safe to drink