The best replacement for water cycle is hydrologic cycle.

The best alternatives to water cycle are rated as following:
★★★★★  hydrologic cycle
★★  hydrological cycle
★★  carbon cycle
★  nitrogen cycle
★  rock cycle

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Speaking about water cycle, one probably shouldn't forget about runoff.

Other search terms related to water cycle and their ratings are:
★★★★★ runoff
★★★★ infiltration
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water cycle
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