Canada has one of the most plentiful supplies of fresh water in the world. However, this supply is not limitless, and must be shared among many users. The agriculture sector is one of many competitors for this resource: It uses about 9% of the water withdrawn in Canada. The four western provinces drew 90% of all water withdrawn in Canada for agriculture in 2001. Irrigation accounts for 85% of the water used in agriculture; drinking water for livestock and wash water for equipment are just a few drops in the collective bucket. In 2001, 7% of census farms reported using irrigation.
