The diagram illustrates the effect of humans onto the water cycle.

The diagram illustrates the effect of humans on the water cycle. In general, while the main principle of the water cycle remains unaltered, the proliferation of human inventions definitely causes the cycle to change the way it functions. Before the advent of human technology, the water cycle has always linked all states of matter together. At first, water inside lakes, rivers, and oceans is vaporized under extreme heat to become steam. The air can also be produced through evapotranspiration executed by plants. As the air flies up to the sky, it is exposed to cooler temperatures, turning it into clouds. The continual condensation allows for the creation of water drops, which then fall down due to gravity. Afterward, the cycle repeats itself. However, when humans install crucial equipment, the water cycle undergoes considerable changes. The most noteworthy invention, which is the dam, blocks the natural flowage of streams, which makes it harder for water to move to a larger area, hence reducing the efficiency of evaporation. Since the water is stuck in a smaller zone, the dam can take advantage of this by taking the water and turning it into drinking water that is distributed to households. Households can receive water from two sources, which are the aforementioned dam and groundwater. After being used, the water exits the house and is then refined before re-entering the stream. This whole man-made cycle, while exists simultaneously with the natural water cycle, has stolen a portion of water that may or may not be vital to sustaining the natural cycle.