| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Potable | Terms referring to "safe to drink" water |
| Water table | The "top" level of underground water where it reaches saturation |
| Aeration | Air is forced through the water to release unwanted gases, which reduces odor and improves taste |
| Porosity | The amount of open space between the particles that make up the rock |
| Ogallala | One of the largest aquifers in the world |
| Watershed | Area of land that is drained by a river |
| Storm drain | Collects runoff and directs it to a stream, creek, etc. |
| Surface water | Fresh water found in lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands |
| Recharge zone | Area of the Earth's surface where water percolates down into the aquifer |
| Groundwater | Water stored beneath the Earth's surface |
| Desalination | Process of removing salt from salt water |
| Irrigation | Method of providing plants with water from sources other than direct precipitation |
| Permeability | Ability of rock or soil to allow water to flow through it |
| Well | A hole that is dug or drilled to reach the groundwater |
| River system | As streams and rivers move across the land, they form a flowing network of water |
| Dam | A structure built across a river to control the river's flow |
| Nonpoint-source pollution | Enters bodies of water in many different ways, making them extremely difficult to regulate and control |
| Biomagnification | Accumulation of pollutants at successive levels of the food chain |
| Aquatard | Layer of water will not pass through in an aquifer |
| Physical agents | Suspended solids that cause turbidity |
| Organic matter | Agents such as animal and plant remains, feces, and food waste |
| Artificial Eutrophication | Can be caused from inorganic plant nutrients form wastewater and fertilizer runoff |
| Heavy metals | Examples causing water pollution are lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic |
| Waste water | Is water that contains waste from your home or industry that must be treated before you can drink it |
| Inorganic chemicals | Salts being spread on the road are an example of this type of pollution |
| Organic chemicals | Pesticides, fertilizers, plastics, detergents... |
| Clean Water Act | Federal Law setting a national goal of making all natural surface water fit for fishing and swimming by 1983, banned polluted discharge into surface water and required the metals be removed from waste |
| Pathogens | Disease-causing organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasitic worms |
| Point-source pollution | Type of pollution that can be identified as the source of the problem |
| First Filtration | The source of water supple is filtered to remove large organisms and trash |
| Coagulation | Alum is rapidly mixed into the water and forms sticky globs called flocs. B and other impurities cling to the flocs, which settle to the bottom of a tank |
| Second Filtration | Layers of sand, gravel, and hard coal filter the remaining impurities |
| Chlorination | Chlorine is added to prevent bacteria from growing in the water |
| Aeration | Air is forced through the water to release unwanted gases, which reduces odor and improves taste |
| Additional Treatment | In some communities, fluoride may be added to prevent tooth decay. Sodium compounds or lime may also be added to soften the hard water. Treated water is then pumped from storage tanks to homes and buisnesses |
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