A-Z of waterwords
We have a dictionary of water words to help you with definitions.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Absorbent | A material that can easily soak up liquid. |
| Adaptation | A population becomes suited to their environment through evolvement over time. |
| Advertisement | A public promotion of some product or service. |
| Agricultural water use | Water used for stock, crops and irrigation on farms and market gardens. |
| Alum (Aluminium Sulphate) | A chemical compound commonly used in water purification. |
| Anthracite | A hard, carbon content variety of coal. |
| Aquifer | Porous soil or rock that holds groundwater and is sufficiently permeable to yield significant volumes of water. |
| Atmometer/Evaporimeter | A scientific instrument used for measuring the rate of evaporation from a wet surface to the atmosphere. |
| Atmosphere | The layer of gasses surrounding the Earth. |
| Audit | A methodical examination or review of a condition or situation. |
| Bacteria | Unicellular microorganisms that do not have organelles or an organised nucleus. Some can cause disease. |
| Ban | Prohibit especially by legal means or social pressure. |
| Biodegradable | Capable of being broken down by the action of living things. |
| Biodiversity | The variety of plants, animals and micro-organisms and the ecosystems of which they are a part. |
| Biography | An account of someone's life written by someone else. |
| Biological (bio) indicator | Species that can be used to monitor the health of an environment or ecosystem. |
| Bio solids | Stabilised, nutrient-rich, organic residues generated from the wastewater treatment process. |
| Blackwater | Wastewater from toilets (including human waste). |
| Blockage | An act or instance of obstructing. |
| Bore | A hole or passage in the Earth made by a drill. |
| Calendar | A system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year. |
| Catchment | The surface area from which runoff flows, sometimes via drainage systems, to a river, dam or wetland. |
| Caulking | The process where lead is poured, driven or forced into a joint to make it leak-proof. |
| Cesspit/cesspool | A pit, traditionally dug into the earth, where urine and faeces is disposed of. |
| Change | To become different. |
| Chloraminated | The use of chlorine and ammonia to produce a long lasting disinfectant. |
| Cistern | A container that holds water for flushing out urinals and toilet bowls. |
| Climate | The weather in a location averaged over a long period of time. |
| Climate change | The way long-term weather patterns have been changing over time. |
| Climate change | A significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. |
| Cloud | A visible mass of water floating in the air. |
| Cloud | Visible condensed water vapour floating high above general ground level. |
| Coagulant | Chemicals used to form particles (floc) which will settle and be removed through clarification or filtration in the water treatment process. |
| Cold | The absence of heat. |
| Colony | A country or area, occupied by settlers from a different country, that is under full or partial political control by those settlers. |
| Community water use | Water that is used by households, businesses, industry, agriculture, and for recreational purposes. |
| Community/settlement | A social group who resides in a specific place, under the same government and will often have a common cultural and historical heritage. |
| Compensating basin | A sandy basin where stormwater is temporarily stored and re-enters the groundwater system. |
| Compromise | A middle way between two extremes. |
| Concentration | The strength of a solution. |
| Condensation | The process of a substance in a gaseous state transforming into a liquid state. |
| Condense | Cause to change from a gas or vapour into a liquid. |
| Conflict | A disagreement or argument about something. |
| Conjunctive use | The practice of storing water during wet years so it can be used in drier years. |
| Conservation | The preservation and careful management of the environment and of natural resources. |
| Conserve | Use cautiously and frugally. |
| Contaminate | To make something impure by exposing it to or adding in a poisonous or polluting substance. |
| Contamination | The act of polluting, either on purpose or accidentally, with unwanted substances. |
| Controlled variables | Factors that are controlled or held constant throughout an investigation. |
| Cycle | Any complete round or series of occurrences that repeats or is repeated. |
| Cyclone | A storm or system of winds that rotates about a centre of low atmospheric pressure and often brings heavy rain. |
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Dam | A barrier, usually on a river, that is constructed to contain the flow of water. |
| Damp land | A seasonally waterlogged basin. |
| Debate | Discussing the pros and cons of an issue. |
| Decomposition (of wastewater) | Organic matter breaking down in wastewater by either aerobic or anaerobic bacterial action. |
| Dehydration | A large loss of water in the body. |
| Density | A measurement of how much mass is in a particular unit. |
| Dependant variable | The variable that is changed/being tested in an experiment. |
| Desalination | Several processes that remove salt and minerals from saline water. |
| De-watering | The removal of groundwater through drilling holes into the ground and equipping them with pumps. |
| Discharge | The pouring of a substance from an area where it was confined. |
| Discharge area | An area where groundwater is discharged usually to a wetland or stream and often due to a sudden change in slope. |
| Disease | An abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. |
| Dispose | To cast something away. |
| Dissolve | To pass into a solution. |
| Dissolving | The process of going into the solution. |
| Downpipe | A pipe that directs water from a roof gutter down into a storm drain. |
| Drain | An above or below ground channel or pipe that conveys stormwater to a natural water body. |
| Drainage system | A system of drains. |
| Dreamtime | Time of the creation of the world in Australian Aboriginal mythology. |
| Dry blowing (winnowing) | To blow a current of air through grain in order to remove another material. |
| Dual-flush toilet | A toilet with a half and full flush option. |
| Economic impacts | The effect on commerce, employment or incomes caused by a decision, event or policy. |
| Ecosystem | A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. |
| Ecosystem | The dynamic complex of plant, animal, fungal and micro-organism communities and its associated non-living environment which all interacts as an ecological unit. |
| Efficiency | Achieving more (or the same) with fewer resources. |
| Efficient | Without wasting. |
| Employee | A person employed by another; usually to earn money. |
| Empty | Having nothing inside. |
| Engineer | A person with scientific training who designs and builds complicated products, machines, systems and structures. |
| Entitlement | The right to benefits specified especially by law or contract. |
| Environment | The area where something exists or lives. |
| Environmental impacts | The environmental effects caused by a development, industrial, or infrastructural project. |
| Erosion | The action of surface processes (such as water flow, wind and other natural agents) that cause the gradual removal of soil, rock or material. |
| Eutrophication | The condition where a river or estuary has a high concentration of nutrients. |
| Evaporation | The conversion of a liquid into a vapour/gaseous state due to an increase in temperature and/or pressure. |
| Evaporation pan | A pan used to hold water during observations of evaporation to determine the quantity evaporated. |
| Evapotranspiration | The evaporation of water from leaves. |
| Exemption | Immunity from an obligation or duty. |
| Explore | To travel through an unfamiliar area in order to learn more about it; to inquire into a subject in detail. |
| Fertiliser | Organic or inorganic material added to the soil to supply the nutrients required for plant growth. |
| Filter | A device with holes of varying size that removes substances from a mixture. |
| Flocculation | The process where microscopic substances come out of suspension to form floc or flake. |
| Flood | An overflow of water that submerges dry land. |
| Floodplain | An area of land, commonly adjacent to rivers, that is seasonally inundated with water. |
| Flow rate | The amount of fluid flowing at a given time. |
| Fluid | A substance that is easily able to flow. |
| Freezing | The temperature point which a liquid turns into a solid. |
| Fresh water | Water with a low salt content; generally less than 1000mg per litre. |
| Full | Containing as much or as many as possible. |
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Gauge | An instrument used to measure an amount, level or content of something. |
| Germination | The process of sprouting seeds or spores. |
| Germs | Minute life forms. |
| Gigalitre (GL) | One thousand million litres. |
| Gold | A yellow, precious metal. |
| Goldfields | An area of land in which gold is found and mined. |
| Groundwater | Water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. |
| Habitat | The natural home or environment of an animal plant of other organism. |
| Hail | Pellets of frozen rain. |
| Half-full | Containing half of its maximum. |
| Hazardous | Involving or exposing one to risk. |
| Historian | An expert on history. |
| Hot | Having a high temperature. |
| Household water use | Water used in homes. |
| Hydrated | The body contains a sufficient amount of water. |
| Hydric soil | Nutrient rich wetland soil composed of organic material (broken down plants). |
| Hydrophytes | Plants that have adapted to live in wetlands (hydro = water and phytes = plants. |
| Hydrosphere | The collective water on the Earth's surface, such as lakes, seas and rivers. |
| Hydro zoning | Placing plants with similar watering requirements together. |
| Ice | Water in a frozen state. |
| Impermeable | Fluid is unable to pass through. |
| Impurity | Something that causes contamination. |
| Independent variable | A variable that is not affected by other variables being measured in an experiment. |
| Indigenous | Originating where it is found. |
| Inflow | The act or process of flowing in or into. |
| Infrastructure | The basic physical and organisational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise. |
| Inorganic | Being composed of matter that is not from plants or animals. |
| Insoluble | Not easily dissolved. |
| Investigate | Making an inquiry to establish truth and fact. |
| Irreversible | A process which cannot be reversed. |
| Irrigation | The artificial application of water to land or soil. |
| Job | The principal activity in your life that you do to earn money. |
| Kilolitre (kL) | One thousand litres. |
| Labourer | A person who does hard, physical work for money. |
| Leak | The unwanted discharge of fluid from a container. |
| Licensee | Someone who has been granted a licence. |
| Lightning | The flash of light that accompanies an electric discharge in the atmosphere. |
| Liquid | A substance in the fluid state of matter with no fixed shape but a fixed volume. |
| Litter | Unwanted substances or items left by people, intentionally or accidentally, in the natural environment. |
| Liveability | Factors that add up to a communities quality of life including their environment (built and natural), economic prosperity, social stability and equity, educational opportunity, and cultural and recreational possibilities. |
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Map | A diagrammatic representation of the land and sea displaying physical characteristics. |
| Market intermediaries | An individual or firm that links buyers and sellers to other buyers and sellers. |
| Mega litre (ML) | One million litres. |
| Melting | The process where heat changes something from a solid to a liquid. |
| Melting point | The temperature below which a liquid turns into a solid. |
| Meteorologist | A scientist that researches the atmosphere and its phenomena with a focus on weather and weather forecasting. |
| Meter | An instrument that measures water use. |
| Microbiology | A branch of science that deals with microorganisms. |
| Microfiltration | A membrane technical filtration process which removes contaminants from a fluid by passage through a microporous membrane. |
| Microorganism | Any organism of microscopic size. |
| Migration | The movement of groups of animals from one region to another for feeding or breeding. |
| Millimetres (mm) | One thousandth of a metre. |
| Miner | A person who works in a mine. |
| Mining | Extracting valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth. |
| Mix | To combine or blend into one mass. |
| Mixture | A substance created by mixing other substances together. |
| Mulch | A protective covering, usually composed of organic matter that is placed around plants to reduce water evaporation, control weeds and protect roots. |
| Native plant | Originating from and growing naturally in a particular region. |
| Natural resources | Resources (actual and potential) that are supplied by nature. |
| Nightsoil | A euphemism for human excrement that is collected at night from cesspits and privies and sometimes used as fertiliser. |
| Nuisance | That which causes offence, trouble, annoyance or injury. |
| Nutrient | A substance that provides nourishment essential for the growth and maintenance of life. |
| Occupation | The principal activity in your life that you do to earn money. |
| Organic | Of, relating to, or derived from living organisms. |
| Osmosis | Circulation of molecules through a semipermeable membrane from a place of high concentration to a place of low concentration until the concentration on both sides is equal. |
| Overflow | The occurrence of liquid exceeding the limit or capacity. |
| Particles | A tiny piece of something. |
| Pathogen | A disease causing micro-organism (e.g. bacteria or viruses). |
| Pebble | A small stone. |
| Permeability | The ability of a fluid to move through soil or limestone rock. |
| Perspiration | The production of fluids secreted by sweat glands in the skin. |
| Pioneer | One of the first colonists or settlers in a new territory. |
| Pipeline | A long pipe used to convey resources such as water over a long distance. |
| Plausplain | A flat area of land that is seasonally waterlogged. |
| Pollutant | Waste matter that contaminates the water, air or soil |
| Pollution | The addition of harmful things to the environment. |
| Polluting | The act of contaminating or polluting the environment with unwanted substances or items (either intentionally or accidentally). |
| Polymer | A chemical compound or mixture of compounds that consists of repeating structural units. |
| Population density | The number of people per unit of land area (e.g. persons per square kilometre). |
| Porosity | The amount of space in a rock or soil that is able to store water. |
| Porous | Filled with holes that can absorb water. |
| Potable | Any liquid suitable for drinking. |
| Precious | Of great value or high price. |
| Precipitation | Water falling from the sky to the earth. |
| Precipitation | The falling to earth of water in any form: rain, snow, hail, sleet or mist. |
| Predict | A statement made about the future. |
| Primary treatment | The first major treatment stage in a wastewater treatment facility. |
| Prospector | Someone who explores an area looking for mineral deposits (including gold). |
| Protozoan | Any of a large ground of single-celled organisms. |
| Pump | A machine for raising or transferring liquids and gases. |
| Pump station | A facility that receives and pumps water out to the surrounding area via pipelines. |
| Pure substances | A sample of matter that is either an element or a compound. |
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Quota | A fixed quantity of a product. |
| Rain | Drops of fresh water that fall from clouds. |
| Rain | Water that is condensed from the aqueous vapour in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops. |
| Rebuttal | The act of refuting by offering an opposing argument. |
| Recharge area | An area where rainwater soaks through the ground to reach an aquifer. |
| Recycle | To use again after processing. |
| Recycled water | Wastewater that has been treated to remove solids and impurities then reused. |
| Reduce | To make smaller or decrease in amount, degree or size. |
| Renewable | Capable of being replaced by natural ecological cycles or sound management practices. |
| Replenishment | To make complete again. |
| Report | To communicate findings. |
| Resource | A source of aid or support that may be drawn upon when required. |
| Restriction | A principle that limits the extent of something. |
| Retrofitting | The replacement of an existing, functioning appliance with a newer, more efficient one. |
| Reuse | To use more than once. |
| Reverse osmosis | A water purifying technique where pressure is applied to force liquid through a semi-permeable membrane in the opposite direction to normal osmosis. |
| Reversible | Capable of being reversed. |
| Ripples | A small wave on the surface of a liquid. |
| Riverbeds | A channel occupied by a river. |
| Rubbish | Unwanted substances or items left by people, intentionally or accidentally, in the natural environment. |
| Run-off | Excess matter that moves quickly and falls off an apparatus. |
| Rural | Living in or characteristic of farming/country life. |
| Saline intrusion | The forcible entry of salt into water. |
| Salinity | The saltiness or dissolved alt content of a body of water. |
| Salt | A crystalline compound (NaCl) that consists of sodium chloride and is abundant in nature. |
| Sand | Loose material consisting of grains, rock and coral. |
| Sandcastle | A small, castle-like structure made of wet sand. |
| Saturated | Holding as much liquid that can be absorbed. |
| Save | To avoid unnecessary waste or expense. |
| Scheme water | Water of drinking quality that is supplied by a water utility to customers via a distribution network. |
| Screenings | The process of removing undesirable material from wastewater using screens. |
| Season | One of the natural periods into which the year is divided by equinoxes, solstices or atmospheric conditions. |
| Seasonally | Depending on the season. |
| Septic tank | A small below-ground treatment system where sewage is disintegrated by bacteria. |
| Sieve | A utensil made of mesh and held in a frame which is used for separating particles. |
| Snow | Precipitation in the form of ice crystals, formed by the freezing of water vapour in the air. |
| Snowflake | A crystal of snow. |
| Soak well | A collection pit for surface and subsurface stormwater. |
| Social impacts | The effect of an activity on the social fabric of the community and well-being of the individuals and families. |
| Soil aggregates | Clumps of soil particles held together by moist clay, organic matter and organic compounds. |
| Solar desalination | A technique for desalinating water using solar energy. |
| Solid | Of definite shape and volume; neither liquid nor gas. |
| Solute | The substance that is dissolved. |
| Solution | A mixture of two or more substances. |
| Solvent | A liquid that is able to dissolve other substances. |
| Sprinkler | A device used for spraying water. |
| Storm surge | The difference between the sea level and predicted sea level. |
| Stormwater | Surface water caused by rain. |
| Stormwater | Rainwater which has run off roads, roofs, paved areas etc. and is conveyed by constructed drains to waterways. |
| Stream | A smooth flow |
| Streamflow | The amount of water that flows into dams each year. |
| Sump land (swamp) | A basin of variable size and shape that is seasonally inundated with water. |
| Sun | The source of light and heat for the Earth. |
| Surface run off | The water flow that occurs when the soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water flows over the land. |
| Surface water | Water that is collecting either on the ground, in a stream, river, lake, wetland, dam or ocean. |
| Sustainability | To keep something in existence. |
| Sustainable | Using a resource so that it is not depleted or permanently damaged. |
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Tap | A device for controlling the flow of liquid. |
| Temperature | The degree of heat or cold in a body or environment. |
| Tenement | A substandard multi-family dwelling in the urban core. |
| Terrarium | A transparent enclosure for raising plants or small animals indoors. |
| Thunder | A loud noise caused by air expanding along the path of a bolt of lightning. |
| Timeline | A visual way for displaying a list of events in chronological order. |
| Toast | To make brown and crisp by heating. |
| Toilet | A fixture that consists of a water-flushed bowl and seat. |
| Topography | The configuration of a surface including its relief and the position of its natural and man-made features. |
| Totem | A natural object or animal that is believed by a particular language group to have spiritual significance and that is adopted by it as an emblem. |
| Trans-boundary | Crossing a provincial, territorial or national boundary. |
| Transpiration | The evaporation of water vapour from a plants surface (especially the leaves). |
| Trickle | A gradual flow. |
| Tsunami | A large destructive wave. |
| Turbidity | The cloudy appearance of water caused by the presence of suspended matter. |
| Urban | Located in or characteristic of a city or city life. |
| Value | The relative worth, utility, or importance of a substance/object. |
| Victorian | A person living during Queen Victoria's reign (1837 – 1901); especially a representative figure of that time. |
| Volume | The amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object as measured in cubic units. |
| Wash | To clean with water and soap. |
| Washer | The seal or valve used in taps to control the flow of water. |
| Waste | To use, consume or spend thoughtlessly or carelessly. |
| Wastewater | Water that has been used inside a home, business or industry that travels to a wastewater treatment plant. |
| Wastewater system | The system that collects wastewater from households, businesses and industries then directs it to treatment plants where it is treated to an environmentally acceptable standard before being reused or safely discharged back to the environment. |
| Water | A fluid necessary for the life of animals and plants. |
| Water appliance | Any household item associated with water. |
| Water cooperation | Nations and countries that are working together to ensure water is well-managed, fairly distributed and available to all. |
| Water cycle | The circulation of water on Earth as it evaporates from the sea, condenses into clouds and precipitates. |
| Water efficient appliance | Any household item that is designed to use minimum water to achieve the same end results. |
| Water footprint | A measure of the total water used in the production of the goods and services that a particular individual, business or nation uses. |
| Water quality | How safe water is for drinking and the environment. |
| Water table | The boundary between water-saturated ground and unsaturated ground. |
| Water trading | The process of temporarily or permanently buying and selling water entitlements. |
| Water vapour | Water when it is a gas. |
| Waterborne | Carried in water. |
| Waterway | A channel for water. |
| Waterwise | Being aware of water use and taking a water conservation approach. |
| Waves | To move in a wavy pattern with a rising and falling motion. |
| Weather | The meteorological conditions. |
| Weir | A low wall or dam built across a stream or river to raise the level of the water. |
| Well (bore) | A hole that is dug or drilled through the ground surface into an aquifer to withdraw or monitor groundwater. |
| WELS | Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Scheme |
| Wet | Covered or soaked with a liquid. |
| Wetland | A low area where the land is saturated with water. |
| Wetland | Areas of seasonally, intermittently or permanently waterlogged soils or inundated land. |
| Willy willy | A strong, well-formed, and relatively long-lived whirlwind. |
| Worker | A person who works especially at manual or industrial labour or with a particular material. |
| Xerophytes | A plant adapted for life with a limited supply of water. |
| Yield | To produce or provide something. |
| Zone | An area or stretch of land with a particular characteristic, purpose or use. |