Water is an essential nutrient that is necessary after oxygen for the maintenance of life, growth, milk production and pregnancy for both humans and animals. Water is a nutrient that has generally been neglected and disregarded for the alimentation of livestock. Daily consumption of water for dairy cattle (approximately 90-100 L) is more than that of any other nutrient. Water is a perfect solvent and a number of composites dissolved in water affect the appearance, odor, taste, physical and chemical features and thus the health and the performance of the animal. Supply of inadequate or poor quality water reduces milk production and feed consumption and negatively affects the health of the cow. However, quality water supply may not increase milk production and feed consumption. Sustainable dairy cattle will be possible with the supply of water having the necessary amount and quality. Therefore, it is also important to know the animal’s need and water quality for an evaluation of chemical and biologic (microorganisms) agents and adequately planning the water management. In this paper, data will be supplied for water nutrition, water requirement, water consumption prediction, elements influencing water consumption and water quality evaluation for dairy cattle. Key words: Dairy cattle, water requirement, water consumption, water quality.