WATER TERMS

term	description
CALIBRATION	Fine tuning of an instrument to meet a specific standard value. This helps to ensure data accuracy.
CALICHE	Calcium carbonate in earth, common to semi-arid parts of Central - Texas. It makes an especially hard brick without firing and is a common roadbed material. It is not commercially available at this time as a brick. However, small manufacturing operations previously have been set up in Central Texas for special projects.
CALORIE(cal.)	This word has more than one definition. A calorie is a unit of heat energy equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram water one degree Celsius. The calorie is used when temperature is measured on the Celsius scale. The British Thermal Unit is used when the measurement is on the Fahrenheit scale. One calorie equals 4.14 joules. A calorie is also the amount of food which contains the energy producing value of one calorie.
CANCELLED WATER RIGHT	A water right that is made void either at the request of the water right holder or due to forfeiture.
CAP	A layer of material, such as clay or a synthetic material, used to prevent rainwater from penetrating and spreading contaminated materials. The surface of the cap is generally mounded or sloped so water will drain off.
CAPILLARITY	The property of tubes or earthlike particles with hairlike openings which, when immersed in a fluid, raise (or depress) the fluid in the tubes above (or below) the surface. of the fluid in which they are immersed.
CAPILLARY FRINGE	A area in the ground into which capillary water has moved.
CAPILLARY PHENOMENA	A phenomenon of water movement caused by capillarity.
CAPILLARY WATER	A continuous film of water found around soil particles.
CAPILLARY ZONE	The area extending from the water table to the limit of the capillary rise of the water.
CARBON ABSORPTION	A treatment system in which contaminants are removed from ground water and surface water by forcing water through tanks containing activated carbon, a specially treated material that attracts and holds or retains contaminants.
CARBON DIOXIDE [CO2]	A colorless, odorless incombustible gas that is considered to be a major contributor to global warming. It is a by-product of all combustion processes.
CARBON MONOXIDE [CO]	A colorless, odorless gas resulting from incomplete combustion. Gas stoves, fireplaces, kerosene appliances, tobacco smoke, and automobile exhaust are potential sources. Proper ventilation is important to prevent negative health effects such as fatigue, dizziness and nausea.
CAVERN	A large underground opening in rock (usually limestone) which occurred when some of the rock was dissolved by water. In some igneous rocks, caverns can be formed by large gas bubbles.
CELL	This word has more than one definition. It can be a container of chemicals used to make electricity flow in a circuit; and it is also the basic building block of all living matter. The cell of a living thing contains a high percentage of water. In solid waste disposal, one of a series of holes in a landfill where waste is dumped, compacted, and covered with layers of dirt.
CELLULOSE	The fibrous part of plants used in making paper and textiles, which in turn may be made into building products.
CELLULOSE INSULATION WITH BORATES	Cellulose insulation made from recycled newspaper treated with borates to provide fire and vermin protection. Most cellulose insulation available now uses chemical fire retardants as opposed to natural borates. (Environmentally-sensitive persons are commonly warned to avoid cellulose insulation. The ink in the newspaper may cause allergic reactions.)
CEMENTITIOUS	Having the properties of cement. Cement is the primary binding agent in concrete.
CEMENTITIOUS FOAM INSULATION	A magnesium oxide-based material blown with air to create an inert, effective insulation. It may be especially helpful for people with chemical sensitivities. It is not readily available in Texas at this time. It requires certified installers.
CERTIFICATE OF WATER RIGHT	An official document which serves as court evidence of a perfected water right.
CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLY MANAGED	Some certifying organizations have been established that oversee the harvesting of wood for lumber. The underlying guideline is preservation of a diverse forest that exhibits the same ecological characteristics as a healthy natural forest. There are few wood products presently being certified.
CFC/HCFC	Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and hydrogen chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) are considered major contributors to the destruction of the Earth's ozone layer. HCFC is, 1/20th as potent as CFC in its ozone-destroying capacity. Any amount of additional threat to the ozone layer can be dangerous, due to the long term potency of CFCs. The current ozone damage is generally attributed to CFCs released 10 to 15 years ago. Twenty percent of ozone damage is caused by CRCs in insulation.
CHECK DAM	A small dam constructed in a gully or other small water course to decrease the streamflow velocity, minimize channel erosion, promote deposition of sediment and to divert water from a channel.
CHEMICAL FORMULA	Chemical symbols written together to show the atoms in a molecule, such as H2O (water).
CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS	These include a class of persistent, broad-spectrum insecticides that linger in the environment and accumulate in the food chain. Among them are DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, chlordane, lindane, endrine, mirex, hexachloride, and toxaphene. Other examples include TCE, used as industrial solvent.
CHLOROPHYLL A	A green photosynthetic coloring matter of plants found in chloroplasts and made up chiefly of a blue black ester.
CIRCULATE	To move in a circle, circuit or orbit' to flow without obstruction to follow a course that returns to the starting point. Water can circulate in a variety of ways.
CITIZEN MONITORING	A program conducted by students or other volunteers involving the collection, management and dissemination of environmental information.
CLIMATE	The long-time weather conditions of a particular place. The overall kind of weather of an environment over a period of years; the average course or condition of the weather in a particular place over a period of years, as exhibited by temperature, wind velocity, and precipittion.
CLIMATIC CYCLE	The periodic changes climate, including a series of dry years following a series of years with heavy rainfall.
CLIMATIC YEAR	A period used in meteorological measurements. The climatic year in the U.S. begins on October 1.
CLOSURE	The process by which a landfill stops accepting wastes and is shutdown under Federal guidelines that ensure the public and the environment are protected.
CLOUDBURST	A torrential downpour of rain, which by it spottiness and relatively high intensity suggests the bursting and discharge of water from a cloud all at once.
COAL SLURRY PIPELINE	A pipeline which transports pulverized coal suspended in liquid, usually water.
COLLECTOR WELL	A well located near a surface water supply used to lower the water table and thereby induce infiltration of surface water through the bed of the water body to the well.
COLLOIDS	Quantities of particles small enough to remain suspended in a fluid medium without settling to the bottom.
COMBINED SEWER	A sewage system that carries both sanitary sewage and strorewater runoff.
COMMENT PERIOD	Time provided for the public to review and comment on a proposed EPA action or rule making after it is published in the Federal Register.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN(CRP)	The formal plan of action used by EPA to inform and educate the public affected by a Superfund site. This plan addresses all the avenues of communication to be used in a community, such as public open houses, fact sheets, workshops, and notices. It contains a list of interested citizens, citizens groups, local repositories, Federal, State, and local officials. The CRP is a CERCLA requirement meant to address a community's needs and concerns. A copy of the Plan is part of the file with the Administrative Record in the local repository.
COMPARATOR	An instrument with a calibrated color wheel used to determine the concentraiton of various parameters.
COMPOST SYSTEM	A compost system converts organic waste (food, plant material) into a rich fertilizer. Several commercial models are available that prevent odors and thwart animals.
COMPOST-CONNECTED DISPOSAL	A disposal that grinds food waste into a container where it is separated from the water rather than flowing into the waste water system. The contained food waste can then be composted.
COMPOSTING TOILET	Several commercial composting toilets are available that effectively compost human waste. The process requires no water and does not create a health odor problem when the toilet properly installed.
COMPOUND	A substance composed of separate elements, ingredients, or parts. Water is a compound made of hydrogen and oxygen.
COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE, COMPENSATION AND LIABILITY ACT OF 1980 (CERCLA)	The federal law that provides remedies for abandoned hazardous waste sites. CERCLA is commonly known as Superfund.
CONCENTRATION	Amount of material dissolved in a solution; a common unit is mg/L (milligrams of dissolved material in a liter of solution).
CONDENSATION	The changing of a gas or vapor into a liquid. Water condenser.
CONDUILT	A natural or artificial channel through which fluids may be conveyed.
CONFINED GROUND WATER	A body of ground water covered by material so impervious as to sever the hydraulic connection with overlying ground water except at the intake. Confined water moves in pressure conduits due to the difference in head between intake and discharge areas of the confined water body.
CONFIRMED	A water quality issue or problem identified by a river authority as being a confirmed problem or a problem with supporting data.
CONNATE WATER	Water (pressure) trapped in the pore spaces of a sedimentary rock at the time it was deposited. It is usually highly mineralized.
CONSENT DECREE	A legal document, approved and issued by a judge, formalizing an agreement between EPA and the parties potentially responsible for site contamination. The decree describes cleanup actions that the potentially responsible parties are required to perform and/or the costs incurred by the government that the parties will reimburse, as well as the roles, responsibilities, and enforcement options that the government may exercise in the event of non-compliance by potentially responsible parties. If a settlement between EPA and a potentially responsible party includes cleanup actions, it must be in the form of a consent decree. A consent decree is subject to a public comment period.
CONSERVATION	To protect from loss and waste. Conservation of water may mena to save or store water for later use.
CONSUMPTIVE USE	Consumptive use of water is the quantity of water absorded by the crop and transpired or used directly in the building of plant tissue together with the water evaporated from the cropped area. It is the quantity of water transpired and evaporated from a cropped area or the normal loss of water from the soil by evaporation and plant transpiration. It is also the quantity of water discharged to the atmosphere or incorporated in the products of the process in connection with vegetative growth, food processig, or an industrial process.
CONTACT RECREATION	Recreational activities involving a significant risk of ingestion of water, including wading by children, swimming, water skiing, diving and surfing.
CONTAMINATION (WATER)	Damage to the quality of water sources by sewage, industrial waste, or other matter.
COOL COMMUNITIES	The American Forestry Association (sponsors of Global Releaf) has selected Austin to participate in the Cool Community Program. This program encourages energy conservation in urban areas with trees and light-colored surfaces. Incentives may be available to participants.
COOLING WATER LOAD	The waste heat energy dissipated in the cooling water.
COOLING WATER REQUIREMENT	The amount of water needed to pass through the condensing unit. The amount depends on the type of cooling employed and water temperature.
CORRELATIVE RIGHTS	Certain rights of land owners over a common ground water basin are coequal, or correlative, so that any one owner cannot take more than his share even if the rights of others are impaired.
COUNTY BASELINE	State Department of Highways and Public Transportation County Map in a digital format depicting site-specific locations in latitude and longitude coordinates.
CREOSOTES	Chemicals used in wood preserving operations and produced by distillation of tar, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (see PAHs and PNAs). contaminating sediments, soils, and surface water, creosotes may cause skin ulcerations and cancer with prolonged exposure.
CREST	The crest is the top of a dam, dike, or spillway, which water must reach before passing over the structure. It is also the summit or highest point of a wave. The highest elevation reached by flood waters flowing in a channel is also called the crest.
CRITERIA	Water quality conditions which are to be met in order to support and protect desired uses.
CRITICAL LOW-FLOW	Low flow conditions below which some standards do not apply. The impacts of permitted discharges are analyzed at critical low-flow.
CHUTE SPILLWAY	The overall structure which allows water to drop rapidly through an open channel without causing erosion. Usually constructed near the edge of dams.
CREEK	A small stream of water which serves as the natural drainage course for a drainage basin. The term is relative according to size. Some creeks in a humid region would be called rivers if they occurred in an arid area.
CRITICAL GROUND WATER AREA	An area that has certain ground water problems, such as declining water levels. These areas are usually limited in their development and use.
CUBIC FOOT PER SECOND (c.f.s.)	A unit expressing the rate of discharge of water. One cubic foot per second is equal to the discharge through a rectangular cross section, one foot wide and one foot long, flowing at an average velocity of one foot per second. One cubic foot per second equals 448.8 gallons per minute, and 1.98 acre-feet per day. It is a rate of water movement in volume per time unit.
CURRENT	The portion of a stream or body of water which is moving with a velocity much greater than the average of the rest of the water. The progress of the water is principally concentrated in the current.

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