Freshwater — Science definition
Water with very little dissolved salt, usable for drinking and agriculture; it makes up only a small fraction of all the water on Earth.
Where it is taught
- Water & Land Resources — Energy, Water & Material Resources, Physics & Environmental Science, Grade 12
In use
Freshwater percentage alone does not establish what is locally safe or accessible.
Water & Land Resources
Questions using freshwater
Problem 1
About what fraction of Earth's water is freshwater?
- About 97%
- About 3%
- About 30%
- About 50%
Answer and explanation
About 3%
Roughly 97% of Earth's water is salty ocean, leaving only about 3% as freshwater — and most of that is frozen or deep underground.
Problem 2
For this supplied allocation model, agriculture uses about 70% of freshwater and industry about 20%, with homes and cities using the rest. What percent is used by homes and cities?
Answer and explanation
10 %
The three uses must total 100%: 100 - 70 - 20 = 10%.
Problem 3
Which is the LARGEST single use of freshwater worldwide?
- Bottling drinking water
- Household drinking and bathing
- Industrial cooling
- Agricultural irrigation
Answer and explanation
Agricultural irrigation
Agriculture, mostly through irrigation, accounts for roughly 70% of global freshwater use — far more than industry or homes.
Problem 4
For this supplied allocation model, In a region, agriculture uses 70% of the freshwater and industry uses 22%, with homes using the rest. What percent do homes use?
Answer and explanation
8 %
The uses total 100%: 100 - 70 - 22 = 8% for homes.