Water, though small, is a hydrophilic molecule. Hence it cannot diffuse through the hydrophobic interior of the lipid bilayer. Aquaporin channels are required for water to pass through the lipid bilayer.
FYI: You can read about the experimental discovery of aquaporin in the links below:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11773613
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=aquaporin+oocyte&view=detail&id=2BE08C8AEE232A3B3F05FE97719A64215101C3BE&first=0&FORM=IDFRIR
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