Which statement is correct regarding surface water before treatment?

Which statement is correct regarding surface water before treatment?

• A. The molecular formula HO2.
• B. The hydrologic cycle is the natural exchange of water between the earth and the atmosphere.
• C. Groundwater is located above the earth's surface and tapped by wells.
• D. Surface water comes from rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.

Answer: (D)

Surface water is water on the earth’s surface that comes from natural bodies like rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. These are the sources tapped for treatment and supply before any purification processes. The other statements don’t fit because HO2 isn’t a recognized formula for water; groundwater is underground and accessed by wells, not surface water; and while the hydrologic cycle describes how water moves between earth and atmosphere, it isn’t a description of surface water itself.

Surface water is water on the earth’s surface that comes from natural bodies like rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. These are the sources tapped for treatment and supply before any purification processes. The other statements don’t fit because HO2 isn’t a recognized formula for water; groundwater is underground and accessed by wells, not surface water; and while the hydrologic cycle describes how water moves between earth and atmosphere, it isn’t a description of surface water itself.