A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z 

A

Absence

Not present. To be absent

Absorb

To soak up

Accident

Something that happens unexpectedly and causes harm

Accurate

Careful, precise or free from mistakes

Acid/acidity

A chemical substance with a pH of less than 7, which can corrode or dissolve other materials

Acoustic

Related to sound

Aeration

A process where air is mixed through or dissolved in a liquid or substance

Aerator

A device fitted to a tap to slow the flow of water

Aerobic

Something that depends on air or oxygen

Algae

Unique plant-like organisms that capture energy from the sun to make food

Algal bloom

A large growth of algae due to favourable conditions

Alkaline/alkalinity

A substance with a pH value of greater than 7

Amenities

School facilities like toilets, taps, buildings and classrooms

Anaerobic

Able to live without oxygen

Ancillary charges

Fees for extra services such as water connection to a property

Anoxic

Something that contains no oxygen

Appearance

The way something looks

Aquatic

Living or growing in water

Atmosphere

Gases that surround a planet, like the air that surrounds earth

Atom

A basic unit of matter consisting of a central nucleus surrounded by negatively charged electrons

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B

BASIX

A NSW law that makes sure new buildings are designed to use water and energy sustainably

Bare

Not covered

Baseflow

The amount of water continually lost from pipes, usually through a leak.

Bed

The bottom of a waterway

Benthic organisms/benthos

Animals and plants that live on the bottom of waterways

Bicarbonate of soda

A white powdery alkaline salt

Biodegradable

A substance that can be broken down into harmless products in the environment

Biodiversity

The variety of all forms of life

Biological

Refers to living things

Biological processes

The processes of a living organism like turning food into energy

Biological reactor

A water treatment system that uses bacteria to treat effluent

Biological treatment

Using bacteria and other simple organisms to treat organic waste material

Biosolids

Solids from wastewater treatment that have been processed into for use by agriculture or forestry

Biosphere

The area of the earth where living things are found

Blackwater

Water containing faecal matter and other waste (also called sewage)

Bore water

Water accumulated in aquifers below the earth's surface but available for domestic or agricultural use by sinking a bore pipe into the aquifer and pumping the water to the surface.

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C

Calibrated

To adjust a measuring instrument to make sure it is accurate

Calibration

Checking or adjusting the accuracy of a measuring instrument or technique by comparing it to a standard

Carnivore

An animal that eats other animals

Catchment

An area of land that collects rainwater as it falls to earth. Often used to refer to areas that feed into dams

Chemical

A substance made up of specific elements

Chlorine

A gasesous chemical element

Cistern

A water-holding container which empties and refills when the toilet is flushed

Clarification

To remove solid particles from a liquid

Clay

A soil that has fine, dense particles that stop water soaking in easily. Clay soil becomes hard and even more water-resistant in hot weather. It is also smoother and more nutrient rich than a sandy soil and forms a ball easily when rolled in the hand.

Climate

Long term weather patterns

Climate change

Changes in climate over a long time due to natural or human causes

Climatologists

Scientists who study climates

Clog

To block or obstruct something

Cloudy water

Water that is not clear

Coastal communities

Communities that are located along the coast

Combined

Joined or mixed together to form one thing

Communities

A group of plants, animals or people living together in the one place

Compost

A mixture of decomposed plant materials, such as vegetable peelings, leaves and animal waste

Concentration

The amount of a substance dissolved in a liquid

Condensation

The changing of a gas into a liquid such as water vapour turning into water

Conservation

Protection of resources so they are not degraded, depleted or wasted

Contaminant

A substance mixed or added to something that makes it impure

Contamination

Polluting something by adding a substance or contaminant to it

Continual

Always happening, frequent or never ending

Corrosion

Deterioration in metals caused by oxidation or chemical reaction from water, air or acid

Crop

The harvest from plants, grown for food or other products

Crustacean

An animal with a hard shell instead of a skeleton, two pairs of antennae and usually with more than three pairs of jointed legs

Cryptosporidium

A simple one-celled microorganism or parasite that lives in the intestines

Cubic metre

The volume of a cube with edges one metre in length

Cumulative effect

The effect of several single events that combine to produce a result greater than each single event

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D

Dam

A wall or barrier built across a river to hold water

Damaged

When something is harmed or injured and its value is reduced.

Deepwater ocean outfall

An underwater tunnel or pipe that carries treated wastewater into deep ocean water where it is diluted and dispersed

Deforestation

Cutting down or removing trees from a forested area

Degradation

The process of harming the environment as a result of human activities

Degrees Celsius

A unit of measurement for temperature

Dehydration

The process of removing water from something

Denuded

Stripped or cleared of vegetation, often leading to erosion

Deoxygenation

The removal of oxygen, particularly the removal of dissolved oxygen from water

Desalination

The process of removing salt from seawater to make drinking water

Detergents

A substance used for cleaning. Usually a powder or liquid that is mixed with water to remove dirt

Detritivore

An animal that eats the decaying plant and animal material from the bed of a waterway

Detritus

Eroded particles of rock, sand and silt, along with the decaying plant and animal material that settles on the bed of a waterway

Diet

The food that an animal usually eats

Discharge

To release treated wastewater into a river or the ocean

Disinfection

The killing of organisms capable of causing infectious disease by chemical or physical processes

Dispose

To get rid of

Dissolve

To disperse a solid throughout a liquid

Dissolved oxygen

The amount of oxygen that is dissolved in water

Dissolved salts

The amount of salts that are dissolved in water

Distilled water

Water that has had almost all of its impurities removed

Downstream

Further away in the direction the waterway is flowing

Drinking water

Water intended for human consumption but which also has other uses

Dwellings

Houses or shelters where people live

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E

Economic

Concerned with the organisation of the money, industry and trade of a country, region or community.

Ecosystem

A community of organisms, interacting with one another, plus the environment in which they live

Effluent

Treated waste water left over after sewage treatment

Effluent reuse

A process where treated wastewater is recycled for useful purposes. The treated water may be used for industry or irrigation

El Niño

A variation in ocean currents and weather affecting the Earth's southern hemisphere, including Australia, every three to eight years

Environment

The particular natural surrounding in which you live or exist, considered in relation to the physical characteristics or weather conditions.

Environmental

Relating to or caused by the surroundings in which someone lives or something exists.

Environmental flow

Water released to make sure rivers, and the plants and animals that rely on them, remain healthy

Erosion

The wearing away of the earth's surface by wind and water

Estuaries

Places where freshwater and seawater mix in the lower parts of river systems

Estuarine

Relating to or found in estuaries

Estuary

The lower part of a river system where freshwater and seawater mix

Eutrophication

Excess nutrients in a waterway usually leading to excessive growth of algae

Evaluation

To measure the value or quality of something

Evapo-transpiration

Process of moisture loss to the atmosphere from plants by transpiration and evaporation.

Evaporate

To convert a liquid into a gas, such as water into water vapour

Evaporation

The process of converting a liquid into a gas, such as water into water vapour

Excessive

More than the amount or degree required

Exotic plant

A species of plant living outside its natural distributional range, which has been introduced by human activity, either deliberate or accidental.

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F

Faecal coliform bacteria

A bacteria found in the intestines of a mammal. Used to test for faeces in waterways

Fauna

Animals

Fertiliser

Natural or chemical materials used to make soil more productive

Filter feeder

Animals that eat tiny floating particles of plant and animal material

Filters

Devices that remove impurities from water passing through them

Filtration

A process to remove particles from a solution by passing it through a screen, membrane, sand or gravel

Flora

Plants

Flow

The movement of water in a waterway due to gravity

Flow rate

The amount of water that flows from a water device in a given time

Flow regulators

Devices that control the amount of water that comes out of a water device

Flow restrictors

Filters that restrict the flow and pressure of water coming out of water devices.

Fluctuation

To change all the time, to rise and fall or to be unstable

Fluoride

A type of chemical used in the water supply to reduce tooth decay

Flush

A sudden rush of water that cleans or clears

Food chain

The feeding relationships between species within an ecosystem

Foodweb

A group of plants and animals that interacts to provide food for and/or feed on each other

Frost

Created when the temperature falls below freezing point and ice crystals form, generally over the ground.

Frost tolerance

The relative tenderness or hardiness of a plant and its susceptibility to succumbing to frost.

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G

Gastroenteritis

Infection of the stomach and intestines caused by parasites, radiation, bacteria or viruses

Genus

A class of similar things, especially a group of animals or plants that includes several closely related species.

Germinate

To sprout or bud, or cause to grow and develop

Giardia

A microorganism (bacteria) that causes stomach and intestinal illness

Glacier

A large river of ice that travels very slowly downhill

Global warming

Gradual rise of the earth's surface temperature caused by humans releasing more greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide) into the air

Globular

Having the shape of a sphere or a ball.

Gradually

Taking place slowly, progressively, or little by little

Gravity

The force that attracts something to fall towards the earth

Green power

Electricity that is made using renewable sources like wind and solar

Greenhouse effect

Warming of the Earth's surface due to a layer of atmospheric gases like carbon dioxide and methane, stopping heat from escaping from the Earth into space

Greywater

The wastewater from your shower, bath, spa, washing machines and basins. Greywater can replace drinking water, to water gardens and lawns.

Grit

Heavy particles in wastewater like sand, gravel, ash, glass and metal

Groundwater

Water occuring naturally below the earth's surface (whether in an aquifer or otherwise).

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H

Habitat

The place where a plant or animal naturally lives or grows

Halocarbons

Chemical substances made up of one or more halogen atoms (fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine) linked to one or more carbon atoms

Hazardous

Something that risky or dangerous

Herbicides

Chemicals used to kill grasses or weeds that may reduce the productivity of crops

Herbivore

An animal that eats only plant materials

Human or animal waste

The by-products of digestion like faeces and urine

Humidity

The amount of water vapour held in the air

Hydroelectric power

Electricity made from falling water turning turbine generators

Hydrological cycle

The cycle of water between the earth and the atmosphere powered by the sun. Also called the water cycle.

Hydrophyte

Plants that have adapted to living in or on aquatic environments.

Hydrosphere

The area where earth's water is found in forms like streams, oceans, ice caps and water vapour

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I

Impervious surfaces

Hard surfaces that don't allow liquids to pass into or through them like roads

Implication

The result of something that can be traced to a likely cause

Impurities

Unwanted substances such as sediment or chemicals which may need to be removed from water to make it safe for people to use

Indicator

Something that points out or shows

Indigenous plant

Plants that occur naturally in a particular area.

Industrial discharge

Waste substances produced or left over during manufacturing that are discharged or released into waterways

Infiltration

Water that soaks into the ground during and after rain

Inland communities

A community located inland and not near the coast

Intermittently Decanted Aerated Lagoons (IDALs)

A pond or tank where sewage undergoes several treatment processes in rotation

Invertebrate

An animal without a backbone or spinal column

Irrigation

Supplying land with water to grow plant crops using a system of artificial channels, pipes, sprinklers and drippers

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L

La Niña

A variation in ocean currents and weather affecting Earth's southern hemisphere approximately every three to eight years

Lanceolate

Shaped like a leaf - narrow and tapering to a pointed apex.

Land clearance

Removing trees and other plants from the land, especially for growing crops or raising animals

Land use

The way that the land is used

Larvae

The young of any invertebrate animal from the time it leaves the egg to the time it transforms into its adult form

Lithosphere

Earth's outer rocky shell. Includes all the rocks and soil that cover the planet

Litter boom

A floating device with a hanging mesh curtain used in creeks and stormwater channels to trap floating rubbish

Loam

Soil forms a ball but will crumble if too much pressure is applied. It is ideal for most plants and has good nutrient levels. Loam also holds and drains water well. Loam includes all soil types in between sandy and clay soils.

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M

Macro

Large enough to be seen with the naked eye

Macroinvertebrate

An animal that does not have a backbone and is large enough to be seen with the naked eye

Mains water supply

Treated water delivered by pipes for public use

Membranes

Thin layers of material that allow only some substances from a liquid solution to pass through them

Memorandum of Understanding

A non-binding agreement between parties to undertake a common course of action

Meter

An instrument that measures or records the amount of something

Methane gas

A simple hydrocarbon without colour or odour

Methylated spirits

A clear volatile alcohol that is used for cleaning and sometimes as a fuel

Microbial

Caused by or involving microbes

Microbiological

Relating to microbiology or microorganisms

Microclimate

A local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to an area as small as a few square feet (for example a garden bed) or as large as many square kilometres (for example a valley).

Microfiltration

Filtering water by forcing it through very fine membranes to separate fine particles, bacteria and other impurities from liquid

Microorganisms

Living things that are too small to be seen with the naked eye

Microtunneling

Construction of small tunnels to lay pipes in, using a remote controlled machine

Mineral

A solid substance formed through geological processes that has a specific chemical composition, structure, and physical property

Molecule

A group of at least two atoms held together by strong chemical bonds

Monitoring

Observing and keeping a record of something

Monochloramine

An organic chemical compound. Small amounts are commonly used as a water disinfectant instead of chlorine

Muddy

Covered with or containing mud. Also called turbid

Mulch

A layer of material applied to the soil surface of a garden to act as a protective cover and reduce water loss by reducing evaporation from the soil.

Multi-barrier approach

A process of managing land and testing water in catchments, reservoirs, water pipes, water filtration plants and taps, to protect water quality

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N

NTUs

Nephelometric turbidity units are used to measure the amount of material suspended in water making it turbid

Native plant

A plant that is naturally found in an area (as opposed to plants which are introduced to an area).

Natural process

A process that occurs naturally or without human input

Neutralising/neutralise

To make inactive or ineffective

Nitrate

A plant nutrient made up of nitrogen and oxygen that is used widely as a fertiliser. Nitrates are highly soluble in water

Non-indigenous

Organisms not occuring naturally in a particular area. Also termed introduced, alien and exotic.

Nutrient

A substance that provides nourishment, food or energy

Nymph

A young insect that looks like an adult, but does not have fully developed wings

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O

Optimum

The best or most favourable conditions, amount or time

Organic matter

Material from something that was once living but has now decayed

Organism

Animals, plants and other living things like fungi or algae. An individual animal or plant

Orientation

The direction that a structure or object faces.

Overgrazing

The process where farmed animals eat or damage plant cover to the point where soils are likely to erode

Oxygen

A gas without colour, taste or smell essential to plant and animal life

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P

PH

pH is the scale used to measure the acidity or alkalinity of a substance

Pathogenic

Able to cause disease

Pendulous

Having branches or flower heads that bend downwards.

Pesticides

Chemicals used to kill animal pests that reduce the productivity of crops

Phosphates

A plant nutrient used widely as a fertiliser

Phosphorus

An essential nutrient for plants, animals and humans

Photosynthesis

The process in which the green pigment in plants (chlorophyll) uses energy from the sun, carbon dioxide and water to make carbohydrates and oxygen

Pinnate

Having leaflets on each side of a common axis. Featherlike.

Plankton

Microscopic, free-floating, plants and animals that live at various depths in water

Plough

To dig up or turn the soil before planting a crop

Pollutant

Something that contaminates or degrades the environment making it impure or dirty

Polluted

Contaminated with harmful substances like chemicals

Pollution

Any harmful change in the environment due to the release of contaminants

Pollution index

A scale showing how polluted something is

Pool

A small body of still water

Pore

A tiny opening or space that fluids pass through, like stomates on leaves or tiny spaces between grains of soil

Precipitation

Water that falls from the sky as rain, hail or snow

Predict

To foretell what will happen in the future

Presence

To be present or in attendance

Prevent

To stop or keep from occurring

Prey

To hunt and kill, or the animals that are hunted or killed for food.

Primary standard

The quality that treated wastewater must meet after going through the first stage of treatment

Properties

The unique characteristics of a thing

Property charges

Fees charged made every three months for being connected to water and sewerage systems

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R

Radiological

Radiation energy given off by something

Rainwater

Freshwater that falls as precipitation from clouds

Range

The interval or difference between the highest and lowest values

Recurrence

To happen again

Recycled water

Former wastewater (sewage) that has been treated to remove solids and certain impurities so that it can be reused

Recycled water charges

Fees charged to provided recycled water to a home or business

Recycled water plant

A place where wastewater is treated to a very high standard for further uses

Recycling

Collecting and reprocessing a resource so that it can be used again

Renewable energy

Energy generated from natural resources that are unlimited or constantly renewed

Renewable resource

A resource that is replaced by natural processes at a faster rate than it is used

Requirement

Something that is needed or necessary for survival or success

Reservoirs

A built water storage area like a dam or tank that holds water until it is needed

Respiratory

Related to breathing or inhaling and exhaling air

Reverse osmosis

A process where a solution containing salt is forced under pressure through a semi-permeable membrane, separating pure water from dissolved salts

Reverse osmosis membrane

A very fine filter used for reverse osmosis

Riffle

A relatively shallow, fast flowing section of a waterway also known as a rapid

Runoff

Rainwater that runs over the earth's surface and into waterways rather than being absorbed into the soil

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S

SQIDs

Stormwater quality improvement device like a trash rack and constructed wetlands that improve stormwater quality by removing litter, sediment and nutrients

Salinity

The presence or amount of salt in water and soil

Sand

A soil consisting of particles between 0.02 and 2.00 millimetres in diameter. Particles feel gritty and crumbly. Sandy soil is light coloured and low in nutrients, and water drains away easily. The soil can dry out quickly in hot weather.

Saturate

To fill with moisture, to absorb or hold as much of a substance as possible

Screenings

Solid materials like plastic removed from wastewater by screens

Scum

Any material that floats to the surface of wastewater during treatment, usually removed in sedimentation tanks

Seawater

Water found in the ocean, containing salts

Sediment

Eroded materials of different sizes that sink or settle to the bottom of a waterway

Sediment trap

A device that captures eroded or disturbed soil, often used at construction sites to protect water quality of a nearby waterway

Sedimentation

A treatment process that allows sediment to settle out of water or wastewater

Seedlings

Young plants grown from seed

Sensitive

Easily affected by slight changes in conditions

Septic tank

An underground tank used to treat wastewater through bacterial activity

Sewage

Untreated wastewater that passes through sewer pipes and usually flows on to a sewage treatment plant. About 99 % of sewage is water

Sewage overflow

Sewage that escapes or is discharged from the sewage system due to a high volume passing through the network

Sewage treatment plant

A place that treats wastewater, also known as sewage

Sewer

System of pipes used to transport human waste

Sewer charges

A fee levied to customers, like businesses and schools, who discharge more than 125,000 litres of wastewater into the sewerage system every three months

Sewerage system

The network of pipes, pumping stations and treatment plants used to collect, transport, treat and discharge sewage

Skin irritation

A soreness or rash on the skin which can be caused by contact with pollutants

Sludge

Solid matter that is removed during wastewater or water treatment. It can be processed into a material called biosolids

Social

Relating to society or to the way society is organised.

Soil

The top layer of the earth's surface, consisting of rock and minerl particles mixed with organic matter. Soil supports plants physically and provides them with water and nutrients.

Soil depth

The distance you can easily dig down before you hit an impenetrable layer such as hard clay or rock.

Soil structure

The arrangement of the particles and pore spaces located between them. Individual particles cluster into aggregates or crumbs that are held together by humus or decomposed organic matter.

Soil texture

The relative content of soil particles. There are three main texture types: sand, loam and clay.

Soil type

A term used to describe a group of soils that can be managed in a similar way or which exhibit similar features.

Solar

Relating to the sun

Soluble/solubility

The ability of a substance to dissolve in a liquid or the degree to which it will dissolve in a liquid

Solute

A substance that has dissolved in a liquid (solvent)

Solution

The mixture formed when a substance (solute) is dissolved in, and mixed with, a liquid (solvent)

Solvent

A liquid that is able to dissolve a substance (solute) and form a solution

Southern Oscillation Index

A measurement of the difference in air pressure between Tahiti and Darwin used to indicate the likelihood of a La Niña or El Niño event

Species

A class of plants or animals whose members have the same main characteristics and are able to breed with each other.

Stem

The main stalk of a plant that grows upwards out of the ground or a small stalk that attaches leaves or fruit to the main stalk

Stomata

Small openings on the surfaces of leaves that allow the exchange of gases like oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapour

Stormwater

Rainwater that runs off hard surfaces like roofs and roads and is carried away by stormwater drains to waterways

Stormwater charges

Fees charged every three months to customers who are connected to Sydney Water's stormwater drains

Streamwatch

A community and school program that raises awareness of the natural environment by monitoring water quality in local waterways

Subdivide

To divide an area of land into smaller blocks so that they can be sold and developed

Substance

A material composed of specific chemicals

Survival

To continue to live or exist, to stay alive, often by coping with harsh or dangerous conditions

Suspended material

Small and light particles floating in water that do not sink to the bottom

Sustainable

Able to continue indefinitely without damaging the environment or depleting a resource

Sustainably

To do something in a way that will not harm the environment or reduce resources

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T

Tap aerator

A filter that restricts the amount of water coming out of a tap

Temperature

How hot or cold something is as measured by a thermometer

Terrestrial

Relating to earth and land

Tertiary standard

The quality that treated wastewater must meet after passing through the third stage of treatment

Testing

The process of working out the quality of something

Thermometer

An instrument for measuring temperature

Three-dimensional

A solid object that has, or seems to have, length, breadth and depth

Tolerant

Able to endure or survive exposure to something like pollution

Topographic

Detailed description or graphical representation of land surfaces

Topography

The physical shape and features (including hills, valleys, rivers) of a particular area.

Topsoil

The top, most productive, layer of soil where seeds grow and from where plants get most of their nutrients.

Total catchment management

The coordinated and sustainable use and management of land, water, vegetation and other natural resources in a catchment

Toxin

A form of poison, particularly those produced by animals or plants

Transpiration

The process in which water is absorbed from the soil, moves through plants and passes into the atmosphere as water vapour

Trash rack

A grill placed across stormwater channels to collect rubbish and other pollution

Treats

To physically or chemically process something

Trenching

Digging a deep narrow hole in the ground to lay a pipe

Turbid/turbidity

Water that is cloudy or not clear and caused by suspended materials such as sediments or plankton

Turbines

A machine powered by wind, water or steam to produce electricity

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U

Ultraviolet

Invisible radiation lying in the ultraviolet range

Universal solvent

Water is known as the universal solvent because it dissolves most substances

Upper catchment

The highest parts of a catchment where a waterway begins

Urban

Relating to a town or city

Urban areas

Areas such as towns or cities with higher population densities than surrounding areas

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V

Vapour

Moisture (gas) suspended in air, like fog, mist or steam. Produced by heating a liquid

Vegetation

The plant life of an area

Verifying

Confirming or proving something

Vertebrate

An animal with a backbone or spinal column

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W

Wastewater

The dirty water or sewage that goes down drains and into the sewerage system

Water cycle

The cycle of water between the earth and the atmosphere, powered by the sun. Also called the hydrological cycle

Water efficiency

The accomplishment of a function, task, process or result with the minimal amount of water feasible.

Water filtration plants

A place that filters and treats water to make it suitable for drinking.

Water recycling plant

A place where wastewater is treated to a high (tertiary) standard so that it can be used for residential, commercial and industrial purposes

Water table

The upper limit of groundwater

Water vapour

Water in gaseous form

Waterlogged

Saturated, flooded or filled with water

Watershed

The ridge or dividing line between two catchments

Waterways

A body of water such as a stream, creek, river, estuary, inlet, harbour or ocean.

Weather

The conditions in the atmosphere like temperature, humidity, cloud cover, rain or wind at a particular place over a short space of time

Wind exposure

Exposure to the wind - relating to how much wind an area receives.

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X

Xerophyte

A plant that is able to survive in an environment with little water.

Xylem

Woody tissue inside plant stems that give strength and transport water from the roots to the leaves

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Learn about water: Definitions