Water is essential for life, yet in 1995, more than one billion people in low- and middle-income countries and an additional 50 million people in high-income countries lacked access to safe water for drinking, personal hygiene and domestic use. These numbers, as Chart 1 shows, represented 25 percent of the worlds 5.9 billion people.

Water is a commons because it is the basis of all life. Water rights are natural rights and thus are usufructuary rights, meaning that water can be used, but not owned. Water is piped from the dam to a concrete reservoir on the hill above the village, and from the reservoir to the pumps. The pump water is extremely clear, especially since the reservoir has been cleaned recently.

Water is also needed by the nations farmers to produce our food. In fact, as much as 40 percent of Americas water is used for irrigation purposes. Water is of major importance to all living things; in some organisms, up to 90 percent of their body weight comes from water.

Up to 60 percent of the human body is water, the brain is composed of 70 percent water, and the lungs are nearly 90 percent water. Water is also filtered naturally when it travels through the ground (this is like when the treatment plant filters the water through sand) and when it passes through some types of ecosystems, especially wetlands.

Water is supplied from various boreholes, which are dug in key locations (near villagers, settlements, etc.) throughout the region. The water is then pumped to taps using electric pumps. Water is continually moving around, through, and above the Earth as water vapor , liquid water, and ice .

In fact, water is continually changing its form. Water is essential in the production and processing of oil and gas, in terms of both technical and safety issues. ExxonMobil is actively engaged in managing water use in our operations around the world.

Water is said to be "soft" if it has a low concentration of calcium and magnesium ions in it, and "hard" water has a higher concentration. The ions react with the soap you use to produce a scummy residue that is hard to wash off. Water is essential for life. The amount of fresh water on earth is limited, and its quality is under constant pressure.