Which step is NOT part of the conventional surface water treatment process?

The correct answer is magnetization, as it does not belong to the conventional surface water treatment process. The conventional surface water treatment process typically includes several key steps designed to remove contaminants and produce safe drinking water. These steps generally include storage, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection.

Storage allows the raw water to be held briefly before treatment, ensuring a consistent supply. Flocculation involves the addition of coagulants that help small particles and impurities clump together into larger aggregates, or flocs. In the sedimentation basin, these flocs settle to the bottom, allowing clearer water to be separated and later filtered.

Magnetization, on the other hand, is not a standard part of these treatment processes. While some unconventional methods may utilize magnetic fields for water treatment, this technique is neither common nor widely accepted in conventional systems. Therefore, it is the step that does not fit within traditional methodologies for treating surface water.