Already Registered?
abstractiontaking water from a source such as groundwater or a river (1) |
acoustic loggerdevice attached to a pipe that can
indicate a leak when the noise in the pipe changes (7) |
active leakage controlsearching for leaks and repairing
them (7) |
aeratedsupplied with air (5) |
aerobiccontaining oxygen (4) |
algal bloomrapid increase in the population of microscopic
algae in water (4) |
anaerobicwithout oxygen (4) |
aquaculturefarming of aquatic (water-living) organisms (1) |
aquiferslayers of underground rock that hold
water (3) |
asset managementsystematic process of deploying,
operating, maintaining and upgrading assets to ensure continuous water supply
at minimal cost (9) |
asset registerlist of
all the fixed assets of an organisation with information pertaining to the assets (6) |
assetscomponents
of a water supply system, such as the treatment plants, process units and all
the equipment and facilities (6) |
audit traildocumentation of the sequence of
activities that led to a given decision (8) |
back-siphonagethe drawing of external water into a
water main as a result of a reduction in pressure in the water main (7) |
bacteriasingle-celled organisms ranging in
size from 0.5 to 5.0 µm (2) |
biodegradationthe breaking down of complex substances
into simpler substances by micro-organisms (11) |
Bishan Garia water purifying powder mixture
comprising a coagulant/flocculant and a disinfectant, available in Ethiopia (10) |
block (water supply)a given amount of water for which there
is a certain water tariff (13) |
catchmentthe total area of surrounding land
that slopes towards and drains into a river (4) |
ceramic filtrationfiltration of water using a ceramic
pot (10) |
cloth filtrationa means of removing solids from water
using fine cotton cloth (10) |
coagulantchemical used in water treatment to
neutralise the charge on fine particles (5) |
coagulationneutralisation of the electrical
charge of particles by using a coagulant (5) |
coarse screens(in water treatment) steel bars that
have a spacing of 5–15 cm (5) |
compliance monitoringanalysis of water to check that it is
within required standards (8) |
concentrationamount of a substance in a given
volume of water or air (2) |
contact timelength of time for which the water
undergoing treatment is exposed to a disinfectant (5) |
corrosionprocess whereby a metal gets weaker
due to a reaction with its environment (7) |
criticalitydegree of
importance (6) |
defluoridationremoval of excess fluoride from water (5) |
diffuse pollutionpollution from non-point sources (4) |
diffusionprocess by which something moves
naturally from a region of high concentration to one of low concentration (11) |
disease outbreakunexpected rise in the number of
cases of a disease (14) |
disinfectionelimination of micro-organisms that
can cause disease (5) |
distribution mainspipes that take water from a service
reservoir to other areas for use (1) |
drinking water laddersteps in improvement of quality of
water supply (3) |
drinking water standardsset of limits for the amounts of
specified substances in drinking water (9) |
drip-feed irrigationform of irrigation where water is put
at the base of a plant, using narrow pipes (1) |
droughtlack of rain that lasts for a long
period of time (14) |
emergenciessudden, unexpected, hazardous events that call for immediate action (14) |
entericconcerned with the intestine (part of
the body where food is digested) (2) |
eutrophicationprocess by which nutrients,
especially phosphates and nitrates from agricultural or other activities, build
up in a water body causing excessive plant growth and eventual decay, resulting
in depletion of oxygen in the water (4) |
facultative pondsin a waste stabilisation pond system
for wastewater treatment, ponds that have oxygen at the top near the surface and are without
oxygen at the bottom of the pond (11) |
faecal coliformscoliform bacteria that originate from
faeces (2) |
filtrationseparation of solids from a liquid
using a filter (5) |
fine screens(in water treatment) steel bars with
a spacing of 5–20 mm (5) |
flash floodshort-duration flooding that
occurs due to sudden heavy rainfall that is unable to drain away into the
ground (14) |
flocculantchemical that assists the process of
flocculation (5) |
flocculationprocess whereby the size of particles
increases as a result of particles combining together (5) |
floodingabnormal rise in water level that can
cause damage (14) |
fluoridationaddition of fluoride to water (5) |
fluorosisabnormal human condition that results
from an excess of fluoride in the body (2) |
full cost recoverywhere both initial capital costs and
operation and maintenance (O&M) costs are all recouped (13) |
geothermal energyenergy derived from the heat of the
Earth (1) |
ground penetrating radardevice used to detect water leaks
from pipes by identifying where the ground has cavities, or has been disturbed (7) |
groundwaterwater that is held in underground
rocks (1) |
hazardanything that can cause harm or
damage (8) |
hazardous eventan event that can introduce a hazard
to a water supply (8) |
helminthsworms that live as parasites in
humans and other animals (2) |
household sand filterdevice for purifying water using
gravel, coarse sand and fine sand (10) |
hydroelectric powerpower produced by harnessing the
energy of moving water (1) |
impervious materialmaterial that does not let any liquid
pass through it (11) |
improved sources (of water)water sources that are protected from
contamination (1) |
incident (water supply)an emergency situation such as a
burst pipe (8) |
indicatorbiological species that gives information
about the environment (2) |
infectious agentsmicro-organisms and viruses that can
invade the human body and cause disease (2) |
inorganic materialmaterial that does not originate from
living organisms (4) |
internally displaced people (IDP)people who have been forced to flee
to another part of their own country due to factors beyond their control (14) |
labour productivityamount of work that each employee
does (15) |
leachatepolluting liquid that is produced
when water passes through materials and takes with it components from them;
usually used to describe the polluted water that seeps out from solid waste
disposal sites (4) |
leakageescape of water from pipes or other
parts of the water distribution system (7) |
life-cycle cost(of an
asset) the sum of one-time, non-recurring costs and recurring costs over the life
of the asset (6) |
maintenanceplanned
technical activities, or activities carried out in response to a breakdown, to
ensure that assets are functioning effectively (6) |
maturation pondsin a waste stabilisation pond system
for wastewater treatment,.ponds in which the pathogenic bacteria and viruses in
an effluent are eliminated (11) |
mechanisedwhere machines are used to carry out
a function (5) |
microenterprisessmall businesses with fewer than ten
people working in them (15) |
microfiltrationmethod for separating particles from
water that are 0.05 to 0.5 µm in size (14) |
microloansmall amount of money lent at a low
interest rate to a person on a low income (13) |
micro-organismstiny living organisms only visible
using a microscope (1) |
microstrainer(in water treatment) rotating drum
with a stainless steel fabric with mesh size ranging from 15 µm to 64 µm (5) |
Moringa fruitfruit of the Moringa tree, which
grows in tropical countries and can be used as a coagulant for water treatment (10) |
noise correlatordevice that is used at two points on
the land surface to pinpoint leaks through the sound that is generated by water
escaping (7) |
non-degradable plasticplastic that does not break down over
time (12) |
non-point source of pollutionsource of pollution that encompasses
a wide area, the exact point of origin being difficult to ascertain (4) |
non-revenue waterwater that is supplied by a water
utility but from which no income is received (7) |
operationroutine
activities and procedures that are implemented to ensure that the water supply
system is working efficiently (6) |
operation and maintenance (O&M)(of a
water supply system) all the activities needed to run the system continuously to
provide the necessary service (6) |
organic mattermaterial that comes from living
organisms (4) |
palatable waterwater that is pleasant to drink (2) |
parameterany measurable factor (9) |
pathogenicdisease-causing (1) |
percolatedpassed through a porous material or
through small holes (3) |
permeable rocksrocks that allow water and other
liquids to pass through them (3) |
photosynthesisprocess by which plants convert light
energy into chemical energy using carbon dioxide from the air and producing
oxygen (4) |
phytoplanktonmicroscopic plants that live in water (12) |
point source of pollutionan identifiable source of pollution (4) |
pollutantssubstances that can cause harm to
human health, plants, animals and the environment in general (4) |
pollutionintroduction into the environment of
substances likely to cause harm to humans, animals, plants and the environment
in general (4) |
potable watersee safe drinking
water (2) |
pre-chlorinationchlorination before the main
treatment stages of the water purification process (5) |
precipitationany form of water that falls on the
Earth’s surface (rain, snow, hail) (3) |
proactive leakage controltaking action to prevent leaks in
water pipes from occurring (7) |
protected water sourceswater sources that have structures to
prevent the entry of contaminants (3) |
protozoasingle-celled micro-organisms much
larger than bacteria (2) |
public–private partnershipcollaboration between a public body
and a private company (15) |
rainwater harvestingprocess of collecting and storing
rainwater (3) |
raw waterwater that has not yet been treated (1) |
representative samplesample that has all the
characteristics of the matter that it was taken from (12) |
residual chlorine(in water treatment) the amount of
chlorine left in water after all the pollutants have reacted with it (5) |
resilienceability to withstand shock, stress or
a natural hazard (5) |
retention time(in wastewater treatment) the time
that effluent spends in a given environment, e.g. in a sedimentation tank or a
stabilisation pond (11) |
riskthe chance of a hazard occurring (8) |
risk assessmentprocess by which the likelihood of
harm from a potential hazard is assessed (8) |
run-offrainwater that ‘runs off’ the land
i.e. flows over the land surface (3) |
safe drinking waterwater that does not have any components
that can harm people (2) |
sand dammethod of storing water using sand held
behind a small dam (3) |
sanitary inspectionprocess for identifying pollution
sources and health hazards around a water source (12) |
sanitationprevention of human contact with
waste, particularly human waste (2) |
sedimentationsettling of solids in a water body (5) |
sedimentssolids that have settled at the
bottom of a river or other water body (4) |
septic tankunderground tank into which sewage is
piped (4) |
service reservoirsstores of water that balance the
fluctuating water demands of users against the steady output of a water
treatment plant (1) |
sewagemixed wastewater that contains human
waste from flush toilets (4) |
seweragenetwork of sewers i.e. underground
pipes for carrying sewage (4) |
smart metermeter that electronically registers the
volume of water used and may send water consumption data electronically to the
water utility (13) |
social tariffwater tariff for those who are poor,
which aims to recover only operation and maintenance costs (13) |
soil erosionwashing away of soil by rainwater
run-off (4) |
solar disinfection (SODIS)disinfection of water using the
ultraviolet radiation and heat of the sun (10) |
spray irrigationform of irrigation where water is
sprayed over plants (1) |
springplace where water flows out of the
ground (1) |
stakeholders
individuals, organisations or groups who have an interest in something;
(of a water supply system) representatives of people who
would be affected by the water utility’s actions (6) |
standardisationkeeping everything the same (6) |
standard operating procedures (SOPs)set of established procedures to be
followed in carrying out routine operations (6) |
supporting programmestraining programmes that contribute
to the delivery of safe water (8) |
surface waterwater from rivers, lakes, pools and
ponds (1) |
suspended solidsparticles of solid material carried
in flowing water (4) |
sustainableable to be maintained at its best for
many years (5) |
symbiotic relationshiprelationship where two parties live
together for mutual benefit (11) |
three-pot methodmethod for treating water by
sedimentation and decanting, using three pots (10) |
total coliformstotal number of coliform bacteria (which
come from faecal matter and other sources) (2) |
transmission mainspipes that take treated water from a
treatment plant to service reservoirs (1) |
turbiditycloudiness caused by a large number
of tiny particles in a liquid (2) |
unprotected water sourceswater sources that do not have
protective structures to stop them being contaminated (3) |
virusesvery small infectious particles that
are not capacble of independent existence and therefore not classed as
organisms (2) |
vulnerable (people)groups of people who are more likely
to be harmed by lack of access to safe water through not being able to buy the
water they need (13) |
waste stabilisation pondssystem of ponds to treat wastewater
using sunlight and wind (11) |
water-based diseasesdiseases caused by parasites that
spend part of their lifecycle in water (2) |
waterborne diseasesdiseases caused through the ingestion
of water contaminated by human or animal faeces containing pathogens (2) |
water emergencyevent that disrupts the normal supply
of water (14) |
water-related diseasesdiseases transmitted by insects that
breed or feed in or near water (2) |
Water Safety Planplan that proactively seeks to
identify and control risks to safe and continuous water supply (8) |
water tabletop level of groundwater below the
land surface (3) |
water tariffprice that is set for water (13) |
water towerelevated structure that has a water
tank to supply drinking water by gravity (1) |
water treatmentprocess by which harmful substances
are removed from water so that it is safe for human consumption (5) |
water utilityorganisation that is responsible for
producing and distributing drinking water (5) |
water-washed diseasesdiseases that occur due to inadequate
quantity of water being available for good personal hygiene (2) |
Wuha Agarchlorine-based disinfectant for water
treatment available in Ethiopia (10) |