Water Terms

Water Quality

a term used to describe the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water, usually in respect to its suitability for a particular purpose

domestic water use

water used for household purposes, such as drinking, food preparation, bathing, washing clothes, dishes, and dogs, flushing toilets, and watering lawns and gardens

what percentage of domestic water is delivered to homes by a public supply facility?

85%

what percentage of the nation’s population supplies their own water, mainly from wells?

15%

commercial water use

water used for motels, hotels, restaurants, office buildings, other commercial facilities, and institutions. Can come from both public supplied sources and self supplied sources.

livestock water use

water used for livestock watering, feed lots, dairy operations, fish farming, and other on

Watershed

the land area that drains water to a particular stream, river, or lake.

Watershed boundary

Land feature that can be identified by tracing a line along the highest elevations between two areas on a map, often a ridge.

drainage basin (aka watershed)

Land area where precipitation runs off into streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs

Public Water Supply

Water withdrawn by public governments and agencies, such as a county water department, and by private companies that is then delivered to users

CFS (Cubic Feet per Second)

rate of the flow, in streams and rivers, for example. Equal to a volume of water one foot high and one foot wide flowing a distance of one foot in one second.

What is 1 CFS equal to?

7.48 gallons of water flowing each second

conveyance loss

water that is lost in transit from a pipe, canal, or ditch by leakage or evaporation

consumptive use

Part (percentage) of water withdrawn that is evaporated, transpired by plants, incorporated into products or crops, consumed by humans or livestock, or otherwise removed from the immediate water environment. Also referred to as water consumed.

drawdown

a lowering of the groundwater surface caused by pumping

Artificial Recharge

process where water is put back into groundwater storage from surface

injection well

Well constructed for the purpose of injecting treated wastewater directly into the ground. These wells deliver into aquifers that are generally not used for drinking water

effluent

water that flows from a sewage treatment plant after it has been treated

Soil erosion

the process in which a material (soil) is worn away by a stream of liquid (water) or air, often due to the presence of abrasive particles in the stream. Nutrients or chemicals attached to the eroding soil particles are relocated. Can result in negative, unintended consequences like polluted water.

estuary

a place where fresh and saltwater mix, such as a bay, salt marsh, or where a river enters an ocean

Evaporation

the process of liquid water becoming water vapor, including vaporization from water surfaces, land surfaces, and snow fields, but not from leaf surfaces

Transpiration

process by which water that is absorbed by plants, usually through the roots, is evaporated into the atmosphere from the plant surface, such as leaf pores

Evapotranspiration

the sum of evaporation and transpiration

tributary

a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river or stream. Usually a number of these merge to form a river

turbidity

the amount of solid particles that are suspended in water and that cause light rays shining through the water to scatter. Makes the water cloudy or even opaque in extreme cases. Based on the amount of light that is reflected off particles in the water.

nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU)

unit of measure for the turbidity of water

flood plain

a strip of relatively flat and normally dry land alongside a stream, river, or lake that is covered by water during a flood

flood stage

The elevation at which overflow of the natural banks of a stream or body of water begins in the reach or area in which the elevation is measured

giardiasis

a disease that results from an infection by the protozoan parasite Giardia Intestinalis, caused by drinking water that is either not filtered or not chlorinated. More prevalent in children. Causes abdominal discomfort, nausea and alternating constipation and diarrhea

Cryptosporidium

microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis. Causes watery diarrhea, stomach cramps or pain, dehydration, nausea, vomiting, fever and weight loss

maximum contaminant level (MCL)

designation given by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to water

impermeable layer

a layer of solid material, such as rock or clay, which does not allow water to pass through

Groundwater

(1) water that flows or seeps downward and saturates soil or rock, supplying springs and wells. The upper surface of the saturate zone is called the water table. (2) Water stored underground in rock crevices and in the pores of geologic materials that make up the Earth's crust

Groundwater, confined

groundwater under pressure significantly greater than atmospheric, with its upper limit the bottom of a bed with hydraulic conductivity distinctly lower than that of the material in which the confined water occurs

Groundwater recharge

inflow of water to a groundwater reservoir from the surface

Groundwater, unconfined

water in an aquifer that has a water table that is exposed to the atmosphere

hardness

a water

headwater(s)

1) the source and upper reaches of a stream; also the upper reaches of a reservoir. (2) the water upstream from a structure or point on a stream. (3) the small streams that come together to form a river. Any and all parts of a river basin except the mainstream river and main tributaries.

hydroelectric power water use

the use of water in the generation of electricity at plants where the turbine generators are driven by falling water

hydrologic cycle

the cyclic transfer of water vapor from the Earth's surface via evapotranspiration into the atmosphere, from the atmosphere via precipitation back to earth, and through runoff into streams, rivers, and lakes, and ultimately into the oceans

industrial water use

water used for industrial purposes in such industries as steel, chemical, paper, and petroleum refining. About 80% is from self supplied sources such as wells or withdrawal points in a river.

irrigation

the controlled application of water for agricultural purposes through manmade systems to supply water requirements not satisfied by rainfall

irrigation water use

water application on lands to assist in the growing of crops and pastures or to maintain vegetative growth in recreational lands, such as parks and golf courses

drip irrigation

Method where pipes or tubes filled with water slowly drip onto crops. Low pressure method. Less water is lost to evaporation

infiltration

flow of water from the land surface into the subsurface

leaching

the process by which soluble materials in the soil, such as salts, nutrients, pesticide chemicals or contaminants, are washed into a lower layer of soil or are dissolved and carried away by water

levee

a natural or manmade earthen barrier along the edge of a stream, lake, or river. Protects from flooding.

marsh

a primarily grassy area where water covers the ground most of the time. May be prone to flooding.

million gallons per day (Mgal/d)

A rate of flow of water equal to: 133,680.56 cubic feet per day, 1.5472 cubic feet per second, 3.0689 acre

how many acre feet is equivalent to one million gallons per day?

1,120 acre feet or 365 million gallons

mining water use

water use during quarrying rocks and extracting minerals from the land

municipal water system

a water system, also called a public water system, that has at least five service connections or which regularly serves 25 individuals for 60 days

non

point source (NPS) pollution

point

source pollution

organic matter

Plant and animal residues, or substances made by living organisms. All are based upon carbon compounds

outfall

the place where a sewer, drain, or stream discharges. The outlet or structure through which reclaimed water or treated effluent is finally discharged to a receiving water body

oxygen demand

the need for molecular oxygen to meet the needs of biological and chemical processes in water

Greywater

Household wastewater generated from shower, baths and washing machine

Blackwater

Household wastewater generated from toilets, dishwashers and the kitchen