Prepare for the American Water Works Water Treatment Plant Operator Test. Study with multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready to excel!

Multiple Choice

Which term describes underground formations capable of storing and transmitting groundwater?

Underground formations that can both store groundwater and let it move are called aquifers. They’re water-bearing layers of permeable rock or sediment with interconnected pore spaces—so they hold water and also permit it to flow, making it possible to yield groundwater to wells and springs. Porosity describes how much space is available to store water, but it doesn’t guarantee flow; riverbeds are surface features, and an aquiclude is an impermeable layer that blocks flow. So the term for a subsurface formation capable of storing and transmitting groundwater is aquifer.

Underground formations that can both store groundwater and let it move are called aquifers. They’re water-bearing layers of permeable rock or sediment with interconnected pore spaces—so they hold water and also permit it to flow, making it possible to yield groundwater to wells and springs. Porosity describes how much space is available to store water, but it doesn’t guarantee flow; riverbeds are surface features, and an aquiclude is an impermeable layer that blocks flow. So the term for a subsurface formation capable of storing and transmitting groundwater is aquifer.