Which statement is true about surface water before treatment?

Which statement is true about surface water before treatment?

• A. Surface water comes from rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
• B. Groundwater is located above the earth's surface and tapped by wells.
• C. The molecular formula for water is HO2.
• D. The hydrologic cycle is not related to rainfall.

Answer: (A)

Surface water comes from sources at the Earth's surface, such as rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. These bodies collect rainfall, snowmelt, and runoff and serve as the primary sources that utilities treat for drinking water. The other statements don’t describe surface water: groundwater sits underground and is accessed by wells, not a surface source; the chemical formula for water is H2O, not HO2; and the hydrologic cycle is driven by rainfall and evaporation, so it is indeed related to rainfall.

Surface water comes from sources at the Earth's surface, such as rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. These bodies collect rainfall, snowmelt, and runoff and serve as the primary sources that utilities treat for drinking water. The other statements don’t describe surface water: groundwater sits underground and is accessed by wells, not a surface source; the chemical formula for water is H2O, not HO2; and the hydrologic cycle is driven by rainfall and evaporation, so it is indeed related to rainfall.