Implications
• The unique chemical structure of water makes it well suited to
fulfi lling a diversity of essential roles in the body.
• Defi ning the water requirement of the pig is particularly challenging
because intake can be affected by a number of metabolic,
physiological, and behavioral factors and because ad libitum
intake is not always a refl ection of need.
• The quality of drinking water can be a serious problem in regions
known to possess aquifers containing problematic ions
such as sulfates, iron, manganese, or nitrates.
• Both the cost and the availability of water will almost certainly
become a bigger issue in many regions of the world in the coming
future.