The water budget, or water balance, of a drainage basin shows the relationship between precipitation, evapotranspiration, surface runoff, and changes in water storage. It is often expressed as an equation where precipitation equals surface runoff plus evapotranspiration plus or minus changes in storage. The water budget is useful for hydrologists to understand water surplus and deficit, and to plan for potential water shortages or recharge after deficit. A water budget graph illustrates surplus when precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration and deficit when the reverse is true.