WATER TERMS

term	description
PARTICULATE MATTER	Solid material that escapes from combustion processes (fires).
PARTS PER MILLION (PPM)	The number of parts by weight of a substance per million parts of water. This unit is commonly used to represent pollutant concentrations. Large concentrations are expressed in percentages.
PASSIVE COOLING	The building's structure is designed to permit increased ventilation and retention of coolness within the building components. The intention is to minimize or eliminate the need for mechanical means of cooling.
PASSIVE DESIGN	Building design and placement that allows the use of natural processes such as radiation, convection, absorption, and conduction to minimize energy costs.
PASSIVE HEATING	The building's structure is designed to allow natural thermal energy flows such as radiation, conduction, and natural convection generated by the sun to provide heat.
PASSIVE SOLAR WATER HEATER	A water heating system that does not require mechanical pumps or controls to create hot water for domestic use. there are several types available commercially.
PAY-AS-YOU-THROW	A City of Austin garbage service that charges the user according to the amount of garbage generated.
Pb	Lead. A heavy metal.
PCB	Polychlorinated Biphenyls. A toxic material.
PENSTOCK	A gate or sluice used in controlling the flow of water. A tube or trough for carrying water to a water wheel, or a pipe carrying water to an electric turbine.
PERCOLATING WATERS	Waters which pass through the ground beneath the earth's surface without a definite channel. It is presumed that ground waters percolate.
PERLITE	A natural volcanic glass that expands with heat and transforms into a fluffy form that can be used for insulation purposes.
PERMAFROST	The part of the earth's surface that is permanently frozen.
PETROCHEMICALS	Chemical substances produced from petroleum in refinery operations and as fuel oil residues. These include fluoranthene, chrysene, mineral spirits, and refined oils. Petrochemicals are the bases from which volatile organic compounds (VOCs), plastics, and many pesticides are made. These chemical substances are often toxic to humans and the environment.
pH	A way of expressing both acidity and alkalinity on a scale of 0 greater than 7 indicate increasing alkalinity.
PHOTOVOLTAIC	the process of converting sunlight directly into electricity. The electricity can be used immediately, stored in batteries, or sold to a utility. Costs continue to drop and efficiency is improving for this technology. Austin has favorable sun conditions for using photovoltaics.
PHREATOPHYTES	Plants that send their roots into or below the capillary fringe to use ground water.
PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL TREATMENT PROCESSES	A means of wastewater treatment using both physical and chemical processes.
PlEZOMETRIC SURFACE	An imaginary surface which coincides with the hydrostatic pressure level of the water in an aquifer.
PLUME	A visible or measurable discharge of a contaminant from a given point of origin. It can be visible or thermal in water or visible in the air, such as a plume of smoke.
PO4	Phosphate. A nutrient.
POINT OF DIVERSION	The point from which water is diverted from a source.
POINT SOURCE	A stationary source of a large individual air pollution emission, generally of an industrial nature. This is a general definition, as point source is legally and precisely defined in federal regulations.
POINT SOURCE POLLUT!ON	This type of water pollution results from the discharges into receiving waters from easily identifiable ÒpointsÓ. Common point sources of pollution are discharges from factories and municipal sewage treatment plants.
POLLUTED	Something which contains foreign substances.
POLLUTION	The alteration of the physical, thermal, chemical or biological quality of, or the contamination of, any water in the state that renders the water harmful, detrimental, or injurious to humans, animal life, vegetation, or property or to public health, safety, or welfare, or impairs the usefulness or the public enjoyment of the water for any lawful or reasonable purpose.
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS or POLARAROMATIC HYDROCARCONS (PAHs)	PAHs, such as pyrene, are groups of highly reactive organic compounds. They are a component of creosotes and can cause cancer.
POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS(PNAs)	PNAs, such as naphthalene, and biphenyls, are a group of highly reactive organic compounds that are a common component of creosotes, which can be carcinogenic.
PORE SPACE	That portion of rock or soil not occupied by solid mineral matter and which may be occupied by ground water.
POROSITY	That part of a rock which contains pore spaces without regard to size, shape, interconnection, or arrangement of openings. It is expressed as percentage of total volume occupied by spaces.
POROUS	A condition which allows liquids to pass through.
POTABLE WATER	Drinkable water.
POTENTIAL	A water quality issue or problem identified by a river authority as being a potential problem, or a problem without current supporting data.
POTENTIALLY RESPONSIBLE PARTIES(PRPs)	Parties, including owners, who may have contributed to the contamination at a Superfund site and may be liable for costs of response actions. Parties are considered PRPs until they admit liability or a court makes a determination of liability. This means that PRPs may sign a consent decree or administrative order on consent to participate in site cleanup activity without admitting liability.
POTHOLE	A hole eroded in the solid rock of a stream bed by water carried sand and pebbles.
POWDER PILLOW	Small, plastic containers with premeasured amounts of chemicals; easily opened with nail clippers.
PRECIPITATE(floc)	Material which is insoluble in water and will settle out over time.
PRECIPITATION GAGE	A device used to collect precipitation and measure precipitation.
PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD	Wood that is chemically preserved to prevent moisture decay. The process uses environmentally dangerous chemicals and there can be health hazards form working with, or coming into contact with, the material. If pressure treated wood is required for a residential application, CCA preserved wood is the better choice at this time. Follow all safety procedures when using this type of material.
PRESSURIZED WATER REACTOR	A reactor in which water, heated by nuclear energy, is kept at high pressure to prevent the water from boiling. Steam is then generated in a secondary coolant loop.
PRIORITY DATE	The date of establishment of a water right. It is determined by adjudication of rights established before the passage of the Water Code. The rights established by application have the application date as the date of priority.
PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT	A mechanical or electronic device that regulates the temperature setting and time of day operation of heating and cooling systems. the temperature and time of day settings are determined by the user so that optimal efficiency can be attained while maintaining comfort levels as needed.
PROPER VENTILATION	Combustion gases are vented completely to the outdoors. Combustion gases that escape into a living space can pose health hazards such as lung cancer. Radon concentrations are rare in Austin.
PUDDLE	A small pool of water, usually a few inches in depth and from several inches to several feet in its greatest dimension.
PUMPED HYDROELECTRIC STORAGE	Storing water for future use in generating electricity. Excess electrical energy produced during a period of low demand is used to pump water up to a reservoir. When demand is high, the water is released to operate a hydroelectric generator.
P	Phosphorous. A nutrient.
PERCOLATION	The movement of water through the subsurface soil layers, usually continuing downward to the ground water or water table reservoirs.
PERFECTED WATER RIGHT	A water right which indicates that the uses anticipated by an applicant, and made under permit, were made for beneficial use. Usually it is irrevocable unless voluntarily canceled or forfeited due to several consecutive years of nonuse.
PERFORATION OF WELLS	Holes in the casing of wells which allow water to flow into the well.
PERMEABILITY	The ability of a water under 100 percent hydraulic gradient.
PERMIT	Any right or authorization granted by the Texas Water Commission or its predecessor agencies, including wastewater disposal permits, water rights permits, certificates of adjudication and certified filings.
PERSPIRE	To produce sweat or salty water from glands in the skin. A natural way of cooling the body by the evaporation of water.
PERVIOUS PAVING	Paving material that allows water to penetrate to the soil below.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS	A process in green plants in which water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight combine to form sugar.
PLACE OF USE	The specific location where water is applied or used. A water user cannot use water at another location without transferring the right or obtaining a new right.
PLAYAS	The flat
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs)	A group of toxic chemicals used for a variety of purposes including electrical applications, carbonless copy paper, adhesives, hydraulic fluids, microscope emersion oils, and caulking compounds. PCBs are also produced in certain combustion processes. PCBs are extremely persistent in the environment because they are very stable, non- reactive, and highly heat resistant. Chronic exposure to PCBs is believed to cause liver damage. It is also known to bioaccumulate in fatty tissues. PCB use and sale was banned in 1979 with the passage of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
PRECIPITATION	A deposit on the earth of hail, rain, mist, sleet, or snow. It is the common process by which atmospheric water becomes surface or subsurface water. The term ÒprecipitationÓ is also commonly used to designate the quantity of water precipitated.
PUMP	A device which moves, compresses, or alters the pressure of a fluid, such as water or air, being conveyed through a natural or artificial channel.

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