Many people take for granted that they'll get water when they turn on the tap. But did you ever stop to wonder where it comes from and how it gets to you?

Water is one of the Earth's most abundant natural resources, but the total amount of water available is fixed. Earth has the same amount of water today as it did when life first emerged on the planet. That's because our water is in a continuous process of use and reuse. In fact, the water we drink today was the same water the dinosaurs drank. You could actually be sharing a drink with Julius Caesar, Cleopatra or even George Washington!

Most of the world's water supply is in the form of salt water stored in the oceans. Since converting salt water to fresh water for drinking is generally expensive, it is rare to find a city that relies on salt water as its water source.

Only three percent of the world's water supply is fresh water, and two-thirds of that water is frozen, in the form of polar ice caps, glaciers and icebergs. Thus, only one percent of the overall supply is fresh water that can be found as either surface or groundwater and used for human consumption. You'll find surface water in lakes, rivers, ponds and streams, while groundwater is underneath your feet in underground aquifiers.

Groundwater systems are more numerous, but serve smaller populations, while surface water systems serve larger groups. Others receive their water supply from private wells that also tap groundwater sources.

As the world's population continues to increase, so does the demand for water; however, the world's water supply does not increase. What there is, is unevenly distributed through precipitation because of varying conditions such as climate and water consumption by plants and animals. So there is not always enough water in places where it is needed. And due to growing populations and industry, the total amount of clean water available is constantly diminishing.

Those of us who reside in developed countries should count ourselves among the fortunate, in terms of water supply. Relatively clean water is a constant in our lives, readily available whenever we need it. However, even developed countries suffer from water woes and contamination issues related to aging infrastructure, treatment breakdowns, human error and geological influences.

In underdeveloped countries, the water crisis tops the list of issues to be addressed. More than 1.5 billion people around the world lack a safe and reliable supply of drinking water, and water-related diseases are the leading cause of deaths across the globe.

The importance of treated water and water conservation are apparent. Click here to learn more about what you can do to promote intelligent use and conservation of your water supply.