Water Water is a chemical substance which is often found in a liquid state at temperatures between 273 and 373 Kelvin , its melting and boiling points , respectively . One molecule of water has two hydrogen atom s covalently bonded to a single oxygen atom , resulting in the chemical formula HO . At standard temperature and pressure , water is found in its liquid state . Water is crucial to the existence of life on Earth and to a certain extent to that of most other carbon - based lifeform s . It has some unique properties , such as an unusually high boiling point of 100 °C and high adhesion and cohesion properties because of its polar nature and the existence of hydrogen bonding . Water ' s other states are solid , in the form of ice or snow and gaseous in the from of water vapor . Water may be produced as a byproduct of star formation and it has been detected in interstellar cloud s within the Milky Way Galaxy . In 2153 , MACO soldier F . Hawkins offered T ' Pol some water from a canteen aboard the starship " Seleya " . ( ) During a scan of Aldean DNA , Doctor Beverly Crusher was able to confirm that a rise in atmospheric HO was not responsible for the Aldeans ' sterility . ( ) The microbrain referred to Human s as " Ugly giant bags of mostly water ! " a description Lieutenant commander Data considered accurate as humans were comprised of over 90 % water and were surrounded by a flexible container . ( ) Water is a standard part of all Starfleet emergency ration s packs . In 2367 , Captain Jean - Luc Picard and Ensign Wesley Crusher were stranded without water after crash land ing on Lambda Paz , a desert - like moon of Pentarus V , since their shuttle pilot Dirgo never found time to pack water in the emergency supplies . ( ) Kataan was experiencing a constant drought towards the end of the planet ' s lifetime as its sun was rapidly approaching a nova . Water on the planet had to be rationed and it was considered to construct atmospheric condenser s that could reclaim evaporating water from the air . ( ) The preindustrial civilization of Barkon IV incorrectly believed that water was one of the four basic element s of the universe , along with fire , sky and rock . Water was sometimes difficult to find in matter , but it was believed that all objects contained water . ( ) In 2369 , Commander Benjamin Sisko and Ilon Tandro compared the Trill and their symbiont s to salt added to water . ( ) When Doctor Julian Bashir arrived at the Bajoran village he received a medical emergency call from , he scan ned the air , the ground water , and the soil but was not able to find any pollutant s . ( ) In some regions of the Delta Quadrant , water is scarce and a valued commodity , traded amongst species such as the Kazon and Talaxian s . In 2371 , Captain Kathryn Janeway used water to bribe Kazon maje Jabin for information concerning the Ocampa . Later , when offered a bath by Tuvok , Neelix delightfully accepted , but was astounded by such an abundance of water that it could be used for the purpose of cleaning in such a manner . ( ) After breaking the transwarp threshold in 2372 , Lieutenant Tom Paris started going through the process of hyper - evolution and became allergic to water . ( ) Drinking water was essential for survival in emergency situations . In 2373 , when the crew of the Voyager was stranded on Hanon IV , Captain Kathryn Janeway stated that their top priority was to find drinking water . ( ) A proper amount of water was important to the survival of plants , but too much water could be harmful to certain plants . When Julian Bashir tried to help Miles O ' Brien care for Keiko ' s Idran hybrid s , he gave them water when he saw that they were " as dry as a bone , " unaware that too much water would rot their root s . ( ) In gravitically unstable regions of space ( such as the gravitational event horizon of a collapsing planet or star ) , water can form into long chains of polywater . ( ; )