Mar 05 2021 Read 489 Times As the most precious resource on our planet that is crucial to sustaining all lifeforms, it’s no surprise that water is in high demand. One of the principal ways of accessing H2O is through abstraction. Simply put, this refers to the process of extracting water from any natural source, such as a lake, aquifer, river, stream or spring. Water abstraction is most commonly used for irrigation, with over two-thirds (71%) of all of the freshwater on planet Earth diverted towards agricultural purposes. However, there are plenty of other reasons why water is abstracted, including treatment for use as drinking water and manifold industrial applications.