water is the main component of drinks like milk, juice, and wine. each type of drink also has other things that add flavor or nutrients, things like sugar, fruit, and sometimes alcohol. water that a person can drink is called "potable water" (or "drinking water"). the water in oceans is salt water, but lakes and rivers usually have unsalted water. only about 3% of all the water on earth is fresh water. the rest is salt water.