ABSTRACTAs water travels along the path of the hydrologic cycle, it changes from pure salt‐free water suspended in the troposphere to ocean brines. Along the way, it progressively picks up salts in the atmosphere, on the earth's surface, through the soil medium and the unsaturated zone, and the saturated zone. Percolation of waste discharges and recycling of ground water through man's use add other complex factors. The process is indeed a water quality cycle. Thus, although water may be abundant, it may not all be fit for use. Understanding of the intricate processes that cause the change in the chemical composition of water is necessary to implement sound water quality management.(KEY TERMS: evapotranspiration; concentration; solution of minerals; carbon dioxide; ion exchange; biochemical reactions; dynamic cycle
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