Question

how can agriculture contribute to depletion of aquifers? we wash our produce before eating it. animal waste runs off into surface waters. pesticides can runoff into oceans. irrigation water often comes from groundwater.

Explanation:

To determine how agriculture contributes to aquifer depletion, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Washing produce before eating is a post - harvest consumer action, not related to aquifer depletion from agriculture.
• Option B: Animal waste running off into surface waters is about water pollution, not aquifer depletion.
• Option C: Pesticides running off into oceans is also about water pollution, not aquifer depletion.
• Option D: In agriculture, irrigation is a major water - using activity. If irrigation water is often sourced from groundwater (aquifers are underground water reservoirs), over - extracting groundwater for irrigation will lead to a decrease in the amount of water in aquifers, thus causing aquifer depletion.

Answer:

D. Irrigation water often comes from groundwater.