surface water
Americannoun
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water that accumulates on the surface of the ground, such as during flooding or when the ground becomes saturated.
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the water of lakes, rivers, streams, etc., as opposed to groundwater.
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“When surface water diversions are curtailed, the effect on streamflow is immediate. That is not the case with groundwater pumping. It could be weeks, months or years before groundwater pumping impacts a stream.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Keane said the problem was at least partly down to misconnections, where plumbing from housing developments is wrongly linked to surface water drains rather than sewers, sending untreated waste into waterways.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Communities and water users in both New Mexico and Texas depend on surface water and groundwater throughout the valley.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026
These maps show the change in surface water from this time last year: The less water, the lighter the colors seen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Since he and Otto could unstick small things from the time freeze, Sheed supposed he could put the mirror under the fountain’s surface; water was just a bunch of tiny drops put together.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
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