Our Atmosphere is the ONLY source of Freshwater

The ONLY source of 99% of ALL freshwater is water contained in the atmosphere. As 98% of this water is in vapor form, precipitation is the key to delivery of freshwater as rain, snow, dew and mist.

Freshwater - Definition

All water contains dissolved solids.

• Water with dissolved solids that constitute <0.5 parts per thousand, is classified as freshwater
• Water in the oceans contains 30-50 parts per thousand of dissolved solids 

Water and Life on Earth

Life on Earth, of every kind, depends entirely on a complex set of interrelated conditions - the most significant condition is that all cells have to continue to be 'wet' to function. Some cells can survive periods of dehydration but during periods of dehydration, they cannot perform their function.  

All cells reflect the different salt (saline) water environments that exist on Earth. Some exist only in the salt-waters of the oceans while others (including humans) cannot survive without freshwater.

Limited but plentiful resource

There is enough freshwater for all living things that require it. However, the total amount of freshwater available is limited by nature and this amount is more than adequate for all living things that require it. 
The limited supply of freshwater is continuously replenished by the Earth's hydrological cycle.

On an average, only 11 days elapse between the time water evaporates into the atmosphere (mainly from the oceans) and the time it drops at rain after being moved around by wind.

One estimate of global fresh-water distribution

Water source	Water volume, in cubic miles	Water volume, in cubic kilometers	Percent of freshwater	Percent of total water
Lakes, swamps	24,600	102,500	0.29%	0.008%
Rivers	509	2,120	0.006%	0.0002%
Total global fresh water	8,404,000	35,030,000	100%	2.5%
Total global water	332,500,000	1,386,000,000	--	100%
Source: Gleick, P. H., 1996: Water resources. In Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather, ed. by S. H. Schneider, Oxford University Press, New York, vol. 2, pp.817-823.

Amount of Freshwater in the Atmosphere

The atmosphere contains 10.5 billion acre-feet of water at any instant in time. This water is more than 6 times all the water in all the rivers in the world.

The vast majority of freshwater is locked up in glaciers that constitute ice packs at the poles and on mountain tops, in the pores of rocks and underground.