What is fresh water

Naturally occurring water with low amounts of dissolved salts

This article is about a naturally occurring type of water. For all types of waters that are of potential use to humans, see water resources.

For other uses, see Freshwater (disambiguation).

Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids.

The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mineral-rich waters, such as chalybeate springs.

10 uses of freshwater

Fresh water may encompass frozen and meltwater in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, snowfields and icebergs, natural precipitations such as rainfall, snowfall, hail/sleet and graupel, and surface runoffs that form inland bodies of water such as wetlands, ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, as well as groundwater contained in aquifers, subterraneanrivers and lakes.

Water is critical to the survival of all living organisms. Many organisms can thrive on salt water, but the great majority of vascular plants and most insects, amphibians, repti

how do humans use freshwater

how is fresh water obtained