Glossary & Lingo

Documents that provide information about hazardous products and offer advice about safety precautions. See also: WHMIS

Dense and heavy solid materials that settle by gravity to the bottom of a basin or a tank within 4 hours. 

Water systems serving fewer than 500 people in a 24-hour period, as defined by the Government of BC.

A valve that is electrically controlled to control flow.

A liquid containing a dissolved substance. The dissolved substance is called the solute. The liquid used to dissolve the solute is called the solvent.

Source water assessments (SWAs) provide information about sources of drinking water used by public water systems. SWAs are studies or reports developed by water suppliers with participation from technical advisors. 

Source water is the raw, untreated groundwater and/or surface water that supplies your water intake or well.

All water naturally open to the atmosphere (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, streams, impoundments, seas, estuaries, ice caps, glaciers, etc.). It also refers to springs, wells, or other collectors that are directly influenced by surface water.

A maintenance procedure where pipes are cleaned by physically scrubbing the inner surface of the piping.