  Aims. We investigate the ortho-water abundance in outflows and shocks in
order to improve our knowledge of shock chemistry and of the physics behind
molecular outflows. Methods. We have used the Odin space observatory to observe
the H2O(110-101) line. We obtain strip maps and single pointings of 13 outflows
and two supernova remnants where we report detections for eight sources. We
have used RADEX to compute the beam averaged abundances of o-H2O relative to
H2. In the case of non-detection, we derive upper limits on the abundance.
Results. Observations of CO emission from the literature show that the volume
density of H2 can vary to a large extent, a parameter that puts severe
uncertainties on the derived abundances. Our analysis shows a wide range of
abundances reflecting the degree to which shock chemistry is affecting the
formation and destruction of water. We also compare our results with recent
results from the SWAS team. Conclusions. Elevated abundances of ortho-water are
found in several sources. The abundance reaches values as high as what would be
expected from a theoretical C-type shock where all oxygen, not in the form of
CO, is converted to water. However, the high abundances we derive could also be
due to the low densities (derived from CO observations) that we assume. The
water emission may in reality stem from high density regions much smaller than
the Odin beam. We do not find any relationship between the abundance and the
mass loss rate. On the other hand, there is a relation between the derived
water abundance and the observed maximum outflow velocity.
