WATER TERMS

term	description
DECIDUOUS	Trees and plants that shed their leaves at the end of the growing season.
DEIONIZED WATER	Ions are removed from the water so as to not interfere with chemical reacions; also called DI water.
DELTA	An alluvial deposit made of rock particles (sediment, and debris) dropped by a stream as it enters a body of water.
DEPOSIT	Something dropped or left behind by moving water, as sand or mud.
DESIGNATED LOCAL GOVERNMENT	A local government that has been designated through cooperative agreement or contract with the commission to perform a regional assessment pursuant to Chapter 320.1 - 320.9.
DEW	The droplets of water condensed from adjacent air when the temperature falls.
DEW POINT	The temperature at which a gas or vapor condenses to form a liquid.
DEWWATER	To remove water from wastes, soils, or chemicals.
DILLO DIRT	This is the name of the composted, sludge produced from Austin's wastewater and yard waste. It is a rich fertilizer marketed for use in landscapes - not vegetable gardens.
DISCHARGE OF GROUND WATER	Occurs when water flows out from underground.
DISCHARGE PERMIT	A permit issued by the state to discharge effluent into waters of the state.
DISHWASHER	The proper use of automatic dishwashers can save water compared to hand washing (up to 37%) and may also use less energy, depending on your style of hand washing.
DISSOLVE	A condition where solid particles mix, molecule by molecule with a liquid, and appear to become part of the liquid.
DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)	The amount of oxygen dissolved in water or sewage. Concentrations of less than 5 parts per million can limit aquatic life or cause offensive odors. Low DO is generally due to excessive organic matter present in water as a result of inadequate waste treatment and runoff from agricultural or urban land.
DISSOLVED SOLIDS	The total amount of dissolved inorganic material contained in water or wastes. Excessive dissolved solids make water unsuitable for drinking or industrial uses.
DISTILLATION	The separation of different substances in a solution by boiling off those of low boiling point first. For example, water can be distilled and the steam condensed back into a liquid that is almost pure water. The impurities (minerals) remain in the concentrated residue.
DISTRIBUTION OF WATER	The management of water which allows water users to receive the amount of water to which they are entitled by law and as supply permits.
DIVERSION	In the most simple term it means to remove water from a water body. It can also mean individually designed diversions across a hillside. They may be used to protect bottomland from hillside runoff, divert water away from active gullies, or protect buildings from runoff.
DO	Dissolved Oxygen.
DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION (USE)	Water used for household purposes such as washing, food preparation and showers. It is the quantity, or quantity per capita, of water consumed in a municipality or district for domestic uses or purposes during a given period. It sometimes encompasses all uses, including the quantity wasted, lost, or otherwise unaccounted for.
DOMESTIC- HARDWOOD	deciduous trees that grow in the United States. This is the only type of wood in the U.S. where on a general scale the regeneration (production of new tries) easily exceeds the removal rate.
DRAINAGE BASIN	An area in which water drains in to a stream system.
DRAINAGE DENSITY	The number of watercourses per unit of land area.
DRAINAGE WATER	The water which has been collected by a drainage system. It may come from surface water or from water passing through the soil. It may be of a quality suitable for reuse or it may be of no further economic use.
DRAINS	Systems to control water tables near the ground surface to maintain levels at or below specified depths.
DRAWDOWN	The lowering of the water level caused by pumping. It is measured in feet for a given quantity of water pumped during a specified period, or after the pumping level has become constant.
DROUGHT	There is no universally accepted quantitative definition of drought. Generally, the term is applied to periods of less than average precipitation over a certain period of time; nature's failure to fulfill the water wants and needs of man.
DAM	A structure of earth, rock or concrete designed to form a basin and hold water back to make a pond, lake, or reservoir.
DAYLIGHTING STRATEGIES	These are methods that use natural light to full advantage to minimize the need for artificial lighting during the day. For example while minimizing heat gain. Louvers on the exterior of vertical glass on a house can reflect natural light into the interior without the excessive heat gain associated with harsh, direct sunlight. Horizontal light shelves, locataed high on a wall with glass above (and possibly below) and projecting into the interior and typically to the exterior as well, are excellent devices for bouncing daylight deep into a room.
DESALINIZATION	The process of salt removal from sea or brackish water.
DEUTERIUM	A form of hydrogen atom in which the nucleus contains one proton and one neutron. About .0150/0 of all hydrogen atoms have such nuclei. Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is the hydrogen in heavy water.
DILUTION	Process of adding a known amount of a solvent (usually water) to another solution to make it less concentrated. This is often done when working with fecal coliform samples to ensure proper and readable colony development.
DISCHARGE	In the simplest form, discharge means outflow of water. The use of this term is not restricted as to course or location and it can be applied to describe the flow of water from a pipe or from a drainage basin. If the discharge occurs in a course or channel, it is correct to speak of the discharge of a canal or of a river. It is also correct to speak of the discharge of a canal or stream into a lake, stream or ocean. Discharge is a comprehensive outflow term. Other words related to it are runoff, stream flow and yield.
DRILLING MUD	A mixture of clay and water that is forced through a rotating bit when drilling a well in consolidated and unconsolidated strata. The same term is used when drilling in bedrock.
DRINKING WATER STANDARDS	Drinking water standards established by state agencies, U.S. Public Health Service, and Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water in the U.S.A.
DRIP IRRIGATION	Above ground, low-pressure watering system with flexible tubing that releases small, steady amounts of water through emitters placed near individual plants.
DROP SPILLWAY	An overfall structure in which water drops over a vertical wall onto a protected apron at a lower elevation.

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