Water management glossary
Sixteen terms for following the water without losing the units or the assumptions.
- Aquifer
- A geological formation that can store and transmit groundwater. Its usable storage and water quality require a site-specific assessment. Explore the method ↗
- Brackish water
- Water with salinity between typical freshwater and seawater conditions; a source-water analysis is needed for treatment planning. Explore the method ↗
- Catchment
- The area contributing water to a chosen outlet or receiving system. Define the boundary used in an analysis. Explore the method ↗
- Concentrate
- The stream containing a higher concentration of retained constituents after a separation process such as desalination. Explore the method ↗
- Decentralised treatment
- Wastewater treatment organised close to a building, cluster or community rather than exclusively at a large central plant. Explore the method ↗
- Demand
- The quantity of water required for specified uses over a stated period. It is not necessarily equal to water actually supplied. Explore the method ↗
- Effluent
- Water leaving a treatment process. The term alone makes no claim about its suitability for a particular use. Explore the method ↗
- IWRM
- Integrated water resources management: a coordinated approach to water, related resources, users, institutions and environmental needs. Explore the method ↗
- Managed aquifer recharge
- Purposeful recharge of an aquifer for subsequent recovery or environmental benefit. Explore the method ↗
- MCM
- Million cubic metres. MCM/year is a volume per year, not a volume of storage. Explore the method ↗
- Physical losses
- Water physically lost from the defined supply or distribution system. Distinguish it from the broader accounting category of non-revenue water. Explore the method ↗
- Recharge
- Water entering an aquifer. Recharge and recoverable supply are not automatically the same quantity. Explore the method ↗
- Reuse
- Use of water for another purpose or use cycle, after appropriate treatment and assessment for that use. Explore the method ↗
- Scenario
- A stated set of assumptions used to explore a possible condition. It is not necessarily a prediction. Explore the method ↗
- Storage change
- The difference in water stored within a system between two specified times. Explore the method ↗
- Water balance
- An account of water inputs, outputs and storage change within a defined boundary and period. Explore the method ↗