Water Supply Engineering Glossary
Water Supply Engineering Glossary
GLOSSARY
24x7 Pressurised Water Supply System, a system having continuous pressurised water supply
with Drink from Tap facility.
Adsorption, is a physical process in which dissolved molecules or small particles in water (the
adsorbate) are attracted and become attached to the surface of something larger (the adsorbent)
Aeration, is a process of treatment that consists of passing large amounts of air through water and
then venting the air outside. The air causes the dissolved gases or volatile compounds to release from
the water. The air and the contaminants released from the water are vented
Air Valves, are hydromechanical devices with an internal float mechanism designed to release
trapped air during filling and operation of a piping system
Air Vessel, is used to compensate for pressure fluctuations and as safety device to avoid surge
pressure
Algae, is the plural form of the word alga, which in Latin means "seaweed." and are defined as a group
of predominantly aquatic, photosynthetic, and nucleus-bearing organisms that lack the true roots,
stems, leaves, and specialized multicellular reproductive structures of plants
Algicides, are chemical compounds whose active ingredients kill algae and/or prevent it from growing
in water
Alkalinity, Capacity of a Water to neutralise acids. It is usually expressed in milligrams per litre of
equivalent calcium carbonates
Automatic Meter Reading, is a technology used to automatically collect consumption, diagnostic and
status data through water metering devices. The AMR then transfers this data to a central database
for billing, troubleshooting and analysis
Anti-Vacuum Valve, is a very special type of air valve. Its primary function is to prevent the formation
of vacuum in large diameter water mains, which might cause line collapse under such conditions of
flow as may result from too rapid a closure of an upstream head gate or shut down valve, or ordinary
emptying of a pipeline
Aquifer, is a geological formation that is permeable enough to transmit sufficient quantities ofwater to
support the development of water wells.
Aquifer Vulnerability Index, the aquifer is vulnerable to surface contaminants and the Aquifer
Vulnerability Index is a method of assessing the vulnerability of aquifers to surface contaminants. It is
assessment of risk accumulated with groundwater resources
Part A- Engineering
Automation, is the use of technology to control a system or process without human intervention. In
the context of water supply, automation can be used to control a variety of aspects of the water
distribution system, including Pumping, Valves etc.
Benchmark, is the level of supply and the quality of water that a consumer is entitled to get.
Borewell, a deep narrow well for water drilled into ground & has pipe fitted as a casing in the upper
part of the borehole and a pump to draw water to the surface
Branched Transmission Main, is a branch main that is off taking from the transmission main for
coverage of enroute habitations.
Bulk-Meter, is a large meter that is usually fitted to pipes to measure bulk water quantity delivered to
elevated service reservoirs and is also used in water auditing and leak detection purposes
Break Pressure Tank, to break the hydrostatic pressure, a tank is specially built which is known as a
break pressure tank. It will be located at the highest elevation of the transmission pipeline and is
required to manage the water pressures that will be generated in the operationof the transmission
pipeline.
Butterfly Valve, a valve consisting of a rotating circular plate or a pair of hinged semicircular plates,
attached to a transverse spindle and mounted inside a pipe in order to regulate or prevent flow. These
valves are used where space is limited and can be used for throttling or regulating flow as well as in
the full open and fully closed position. The pressure loss through a butterfly valve is small in
comparison with the gate valve
Check Dam, is a small, sometimes temporary, dam constructed across a swale, drainage ditch, or
waterway to counteract erosion by reducing water flow velocity
Chloramines, (also known as secondary disinfection) are disinfectants used to treat drinkingwater
and they are most commonly formed when ammonia is added to chlorine to treat drinking water,
provide longer-lasting disinfection as the water moves through pipes toconsumers
Chlorination, Water chlorination is the process of adding chlorines or chlorine compounds such as
sodium hypochlorite to water. Chlorination is used to prevent the spread of water borne diseases
Chlorine Residual, is the low-level amount of chlorine remaining in the water after a certain period or
contact time after its initial application. It constitutes an important safeguard against the risk of
subsequent microbial contamination after treatment—a unique and significant benefit for public health
Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization, regulates the mutual fund dealers that invest in
water funds. These funds invest in water infrastructure companies and other water-related businesses.
This can help to make water investment more accessible to individual investors.
Coagulant, is a chemical that is used to remove suspended solids from drinking water. They are made
up of positively charged molecules, which help to provide effective neutralization of water
Coagulation, is the chemical water treatment process used to remove solids from water, by
manipulating electrostatic charges of particles suspended in water. This process introduces small,
highly charged molecules into water to destabilize the charges on particles, colloids, or oily materials
in suspension
Cold Desert, is an arid habitat with an annual rainfall of less than 25 cm. They have a temperate
climate with scorching summers and chilly winters because they are situated at a high latitude.
Confined Aquifer, is an aquifer below the land surface that is saturated with water. Layers of
impermeable material are both above and below the aquifer, causing it to be under pressure so that
when the aquifer is penetrated by a well, the water will rise above the top of the aquifer
Contamination, is defined as any substance added to water that degrades its quality. Water bodies
include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater
Consumer Survey, is a source to obtain information about consumer satisfaction levels with existing
water quality and services and their opinions and expectations regarding new water quality and
services
Control Valve, is a valve used to control fluid flow by varying the size of the flow passage as directed
by a signal from a controller. This enables the direct control of flow rate and the consequential control
of process quantities such as pressure, temperature, and liquid level
City Water Balance Plan, is a document that describes the water resources of a city, including the
sources of water, the demand for water, and the ways in which water is used and managed. The
CWBP is used to identify the water supply and demand gaps in a city and to develop strategies to
close these gaps.
City Development Plan, sets out how best the city can enable growth and investment over the years.
Communication Technologies, Communication technologies are used in water supply for a variety
of purposes, including Monitoring and control of water infrastructure, Asset management, Customer
service, Emergency response and Research and development.
Dual Water Distribution System, for coastal cities and new layouts of water scarce cities consist of
two independent pipe networks with separate treatment, pumping and storage system to supply
different grade of water to consumers.
Part A- Engineering
Debottlenecking, is defined as the process of pinpointing specific areas in plant equipment or the
workflow configuration that limits the flow of product. By optimising plant operations, overall capacity
and/quality can be improved
Digital Terrain Modelling, is a mathematical representation (model) of the ground surface, most often
in the form of a regular grid, in which a unique elevation value is assigned
Digitalization, describes the pure analog-to-digital conversion of existing data and documents.
Digital Twin, is a virtual representation of an object or system that spans its lifecycle, is updated from
real-time data, and uses simulation, machine learning and reasoning to help decision making
Disaster, is an event whose timing is unexpected and whose consequences are seriously destructive
Distillation, is a process that relies on evaporation to purify water. Contaminated water is heated to
form steam. Inorganic compounds and large non-volatile organic molecules do not evaporate with the
water and are left behind. The steam then cools and condenses to form purified water
District Metered Area, is defined as a discrete part of a water distribution network. It is usually created
by closing boundary valves or by permanently disconnecting pipes to neighbouring areas
Detailed Project Report, consists of detailed data, design drawings and estimate of a prospective
project
Drink from Tap, continuous pressurised water supply system to ensure water quality for drinking,
cooking, washing, etc. made available to consumer tap.
Drones, is a flying robot that can be remotely controlled or fly autonomously using software- controlled
flight plans in its embedded systems used for various purpose in water sector and other areas
Distribution System, A water distribution system is a network of pipes, pumps, and other
infrastructure that delivers water from a treatment plant to homes and businesses.
Electrical Conductivity, is a measure of the capability of water to pass electrical flow. This ability
directly depends on the concentration of conductive ions in the water. These conductive ions originated
due to inorganic materials such as chlorides, alkalis, carbonate and sulphide compounds and
dissolved salts. The unit of EC is milli-Siemens per meter (mS/m)
Electro-chlorination, is the process of producing hypochlorite by passing electric current through salt
water. This disinfects the water and makes it safe for human use, such as for drinking water or
swimming pools
Electro-dialysis, is a process controlled by an electric field gradient that allows the separation of
minerals from feed water solution. It moves dissociated ions through ion-permselective membranes
Part A- Engineering
and forms two different flows - desalinated flow called dilute and a concentrated flow called
concentrate (brine)
Electrofusion, is a method of joining MDPE, HDPE and other plastic pipes using special fittings that
have built-in electric heating elements which are used to weld the joint together
Emerging Contaminants, are those which have not previously been detected through water quality
analysis, or have been found in small concentrations with uncertainty as to their effects. The risk they
pose to human or environmental health is not fully understood
Energy Audit, is an inspection survey and an analysis of energy flows for energy conservation and
includes a process or system to reduce the amount of energy input into the system without negatively
affecting the output
Elevated Service Reservoirs, are constructed, where water is to be supplied at elevated height (less
than the level of ESR) or where the distance is large and topography is undulating
Estuary, it is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams
flowing into it and with a free connection to the open sea
Filter Console, provides continuous and discrete controls that are necessary for a typical surface or
bulk filter in a water treatment plant
Filter Sand, Quartz sand, silica sand, anthracite coal, garnet, magnetite, and other materials may be
used as filtration media. Silica sand and anthracite are the most commonly used types
Filtration, is the process in which solid particles in a liquid or gaseous fluid are removed by the use of
a filter medium that allows the fluid to pass through while retaining the solid particles.It may mean the
use of a physical barrier, chemical, and/or a biological process
Floating Reservoirs, during peak demand in the distribution system, water from the source as well
as from the storage reservoir will be supplied. The storage reservoir under this condition is called
Balancing Reservoir. Balancing reservoir is also called floating reservoir
Flocculation, is a water treatment process where solids form larger clusters, or flocs, to be removed
from water. This process can happen spontaneously, or with the help of chemical agents. It is a
common method in the purification of drinking water
Flow Control Valve, is designed to maintain a constant pre-set maximum flow regardless of
fluctuating demand or varying system pressure. Flow limiting is required at the outlets from main
systems to consumers like secondary systems (main line to hydrant line; hydrant line to distribution
line), reservoirs, etc.
Flow-meters, are critical instruments in water treatment plants, providing accurate measurement and
control of water flow to achieve efficient treatment processes, meet regulatory requirements, conserve
water, and maintain optimal plant performance
Part A- Engineering
Flumes, A device used to measure the flow in an open channel. The flume narrows to a throat of fixed
dimensions and then expands again. The rate of flow can be calculated by measuring the difference
in head (pressure) before and at the throat of the flume
Foot Valve, is a type of check valve that is typically installed at a pump or at the bottom of a pipe line
(hence the name). Foot valves act like ball check valves, but have an open end with a shield or screen
over it to block debris from entering the line.
Geographic Information System, is an effective tool for storing, managing, and displaying spatial
data often encountered in water resources management. The application of GIS in water resources is
constantly on the rise
Globe Valve, is an instrument used to stop and/or control the flow of fluids in a pipeline. It works by
halting the flow of a fluid through a pipe. The name globe comes about due to the valve's cylindrical
shape. There are usually two halves of the body within the globe valve that are separated by an internal
baffle
Ground Penetrating Radar, is a geophysical locating method that uses radio waves to capture
images below the surface of the ground in a minimally invasive way
Gravity Transmission Main, Gravity water systems use gravity to transport water from the source to
the user through a pipe network.
Groundwater, is water that exists underground in saturated zones beneath the land surface
Groundwater Table, the top of the subsurface ground-water body, the water table, is a surface,
generally below the land surface, that fluctuates seasonally and from year to year in response to
changes in recharge from precipitation and surface-water bodies
Guniting, is a technique of applying mortar or concrete to a surface with a spray cannon during
construction
Halogen, elements are fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), astatine (At) and tennessine
(Ts). Because of their great reactivity, the free halogen elements are not found in nature. Halogen
reacts to a small extent with water, forming acidic solutions with bleaching properties. They also
undergo redox reactions with metal halides in solution, displacing less reactive halogens from their
compounds
Hazen William Co-efficient (C), is usually considered independent of pipe diameter, velocity of flow
and viscosity. However, to be dimensionally consistent and to be representative of friction conditions,
it must depend on relative roughness of pipe and Reynold's number
Head Works, is a civil engineering term for any structure at the head or diversion point of a waterway.
When dam is constructed across a river to form a storage reservoir, it is known as storage head work.
It stores water during the period of excess supplies in the river and releases it when demand overtakes
the available supplies
Part A- Engineering
Hydrogeology, the study of the occurrence distribution, and movement of underground water
Intermittent Water Supply, defined as piped water supply service that is available to consumers less
than 24 hours per day. In an IWS situation, the consumers usually secure their water supply through
the use of ground or roof tanks, where water is stored during the length of time that the supply is
provided
IOT, short form of Internet of things describes the network of physical objects— “things”— that are
embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and
exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet
Ion Exchange, systems are used for efficient removal of dissolved ions from water. Ion exchangers
exchange one ion for another, hold it temporarily, and then release it to a regenerant solution. In an
ion exchange system, undesirable ions in the water supply are replaced with more acceptable ions
Isoheytal Map, map depicting characteristics of equal precipitation amounts recorded during a
specific time period
Isotopes, atoms with same number of protons but different number of neutrons.
Integrated Water Resources Management, is a process that promotes the coordinated development
and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximize economic and social
welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems
Integrated Urban Water Resources Management, is a process that promotes the coordinated
development and management of urban water, urban land and related urban resources in order to
maximize economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability
of vital ecosystems.
K value in pipe, Resistance coefficient K is proportional coefficient between pressure drop (head loss)
and square velocity of fluid flowing through valves and fittings like an elbow, bend, reducer, tee, pipe
entrance, and pipe exit
Part A- Engineering
Kinetics of Disinfection, the rate of destruction of micro-organisms has been expressed by a first
order reaction referred to as “Chick's law.” Chick's law states that the rate of bacterial destruction is
directly proportional to the number of organisms remaining at any time
Litres per Capita per Day, the level of water supply means actual quantity of the drinking water in
litre per capita per day (lpcd) provided to the population
LoRa WAN, stands for Long Range Wide Area Network. It is a low-power wide-area networking
(LPWAN) technology that is designed to connect battery-powered devices over long distances with
same uses as NB IOT.
Manholes, are the commonly used maintenance utility underground structures to provide access to
installed pipelines for inspection and cleanout. It is a vital component of the water supply and sanitary
system, the basic underground utilities
Manometers, instruments for measuring the pressure acting on a column of fluid, consisting of a U-
Shaped tube of a liquid in which a difference in the pressures acting in the two arms of tube causes
the liquid to reach different heights in the two areas
Main Balancing Reservoirs, are larger than zonal balancing reservoirs and are located at the
headwaters of a water distribution system. They are used to regulate water pressure and distribution
for the entire system.
Membrane Desalination, is the process by which salt and minerals are removed from water solution
when it passes through a semipermeable membrane
Managed Aquifer Recharge, is a water management approach that can be used to maximize natural
storage and increase water supply system resilience during periods of low flows and high seasonal
variability
NAQIUM, represents National Project on Aquifer Management implemented by Central Ground Water
Board (CGWB) for the Mapping of Aquifers in India
NB-IOT, Narrowband IoT is a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) radio technology standard
developed by 3GPP for cellular network devices and services. NB-IoT is used in a variety of IoT
applications, including Asset Tracking, Smart Metering, Environmental Monitoring, Industrial
automation and Smart city applications.
Non-Revenue Water, is water that has been produced and is "lost" before it reaches the customer.
Losses can be real losses (through leaks, sometimes also referred to as physical losses) or apparent
losses (for example through theft or metering inaccuracies)
Part A- Engineering
Over-exploited Unit, are those units where groundwater abstraction substantially exceeds (more than
100%) the annually replenishable ground water
Ozone, is produced when oxygen (O2) molecules are dissociated by an energy source into oxygen
atoms and subsequently collide with an oxygen molecule to form an unstable gas, ozone (O3), which
is used to disinfect water and wastewater
Ozonation, is a type of advanced oxidation process, involving the production of very reactive oxygen
species able to attack a wide range of organic compounds and all microorganisms
Parastatals, refers to a government entity or agency that operates independently of the formal
government structure, but is ultimately accountable to the government such as semi- autonomous,
state-owned, quasi-governmental, public enterprise, government-owned corporation, and statutory
corporation.
Pathogenic Organism, includes bacteria, viruses or cysts, capable of causing diseases (typhoid,
cholera, dysentery) in a host (such as a person). There are many types of organisms which do not
cause disease
Peak Factor, is typically expressed as a ratio, or peaking factor, dividing the peak water use by the
average daily water use. These peaking factors are then used to calculate maximum month, maximum
day and peak hour water use conditions
PERT Diagram, stands for program evaluation and review technique diagram. It provides a visual
representation of a project's timeline and breaks down individual tasks. These charts are similar to
Gantt charts, but structured differently. This diagram consists of a few steps to get you from a project
start date to end date
Pesticides, are chemical compounds that are used to kill pests, including insects, rodents, fungi and
unwanted plants (weeds)
pH, is a measure of how acidic/basic water is. The range goes from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. pHs
of less than 7 indicate acidity
pH Meter, is an instrument used to measure acidity or alkalinity of a solution - also known as pH. pH
is the unit of measure that describes the degree of acidity or alkalinity. It is measured on a scale of 0
to 14
Potable Water, is defined as water that is suitable for human consumption (i.e., water that can be
used for drinking or cooking). The term implies that the water is drinkable as well as safe
Part A- Engineering
Pressure Filter, is the process of separating a suspended solid such as a precipitate from the liquid
in which it is already suspended by straining it – under pressure – through a porous medium that can
be penetrated easily by liquid
Public-Private Partnership, model is a partnership between the public sector and the private sector
for the purpose of delivering a project or a service traditionally provided by the public sector.
Pump House, a building containing pumping equipment, thus, a building containing pumping
equipment to provide the water supply from a well, spring, creek, or pond, water treatment plant, clear
water reservoir, service reservoirs, etc.
RADAR, a device that sends out radio waves for detecting and locating an object by the reflection of
the radio waves and that may use this reflection to find out the position and speed of the object
Radiography, X-ray, also referred to as radiography, enables NDT technicians to analyse the interior
and exterior structure of pipes without having to alter or damage any components. X- ray inspections
require having access to two sides of the pipe – one side to transmit radiation, and one side to record
it
Recycled Water, water reuse (also commonly known as water recycling or water reclamation)
reclaims water from a variety of sources then treats and reuses it for beneficial purposes such as
agriculture and irrigation, potable water supplies, groundwater replenishment, industrial processes,
and environmental restoration
Resilient, resilience is the ability of social-ecological systems to weather and recover from shocks
while remaining adaptable to an uncertain future, and “water resilience” refers to those characteristics
in a water system
Remote Sensing, is the process of detecting and monitoring the physical characteristics of an area
by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance (typically from satellite or aircraft).
Special cameras collect remotely sensed images, which help researchers "sense" things about the
Earth
River Basin, is the portion of land drained by a river and its tributaries. It encompasses all of the land
surface dissected and drained by many streams and creeks that flow downhill into one another
Robotic, systems are defined as systems that provide intelligent services and information by
interacting with their environment, including human beings, via the use of various sensors, actuators
and human interfaces.
Safe Yield, is defined as the maximum rate of withdrawal that can be sustained by an aquifer without
causing an unacceptable decline in the hydraulic head or deterioration in water quality in the aquifer
Part A- Engineering
Sedimentation, is the process of separating small particles and sediments in water. This process
happens naturally when water is still because gravity will pull the heavier sediments down to form a
sludge layer. However, this action can be artificially stimulated in the water treatment process
Simulation, is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time
Specific Capacity of a Well, is defined as the pumping rate divided by drawdown at some time after
pumping was started
Satellite Images, are images of Earth collected by imaging satellites operated by governments and
businesses around the world
Sanitation, system includes the capture, storage, transport, treatment and disposal or reuse of human
excreta and wastewater
SCADA, short form of Supervisory control and data acquisition is a system of software and hardware
elements that allows organisations to control processes locally or at remote locations, monitor, gather,
and process real-time data
Service Hazards, service hazards in water supply are the potential risks to human health and the
environment that can occur during the delivery of water to homes and businesses. These hazards can
be caused by a variety of factors, including Contamination, Physical hazards, biological hazards and
Chemical hazards.
Seepage, the flow of water or any fluid through the soil or ground is called seepage.
Sluice Valves, use a gate or a wedge-shaped disc to control and regulate the flow. This gate runs
perpendicular to the flow of fluids into or out of the pipeline. The valve opens by lifting the gate out of
the path of the fluids and enabling it to flow
Soil Resistivity, it is the measure of soil’s capability to oppose, resist, and reduce the flow of electric
current through it. Soil Resistivity is determined by its content of electrolytes which consist of moisture,
minerals, and dissolved salts
Solar Stills, is a device to desalinate impure water like brackish or saline water. It a simple device to
get potable/fresh distilled water from impure water, using solar energy as fuel, for its various
applications in domestic, industrial and academic sectors
Solar Pump, is an application of photovoltaic technology which converts solar energy into electricity
to run the pumping system thereby replacing erratic grid supply and pollution- causing diesel-powered
versions
Solar Panels, are those devices which are used to absorb the sun's rays and convert them into
electricity or heat
Spring, is a natural opening in the ground where water emerges & flows directly from the aquifers to
earth surface
Stakeholders, anyone who can affect or be affected by the urban water service delivery
Part A- Engineering
Static Head, sometimes referred to as the pressure head, is a term primarily used in Hydraulics to
denote the static pressure in a pipe, channel, or duct flow
Storage Sumps, is an underground (or partially underground) tank that is usually used for large water
tank storage and can be built using cement-like materials.
Submersible Pump, is a pump that can be fully submerged in water. The motor is hermetically sealed
and close-coupled to the body of the pump. A submersible pump pushes water to the surface by
converting rotary energy into kinetic energy into pressure energy
Surge Tank, is a standpipe or storage reservoir at the downstream end of a closed aqueduct, feeder,
dam, barrage pipe to absorb sudden rises of pressure, as well as to quickly provide extra water during
a brief drop in pressure
Surge-Shaft, is a structure provided at the end of headrace tunnel or pipe to account for water
hammering effect in the pipe at its downstream
Tariff, is a price assigned to water supplied by a public utility through a piped network to its customers
Total Dissolved Solids, is a measure of the dissolved combined content of all inorganic and organic
substances present in a liquid in molecular, ionized, or micro-granular (colloidal sol) suspended form.
TDS are often measured in parts per million (ppm). TDS in water can be measured using a digital
meter
Telemetry, is the automatic measurement and wireless transmission of data from remote sources. In
general, telemetry works in the following way, Sensors at the source measure either electrical data,
such as voltage and current, or physical data, such as temperature and pressure
Total Organic Carbon, within water treatment is referring to the total amount of organic carbon found
in water
Transformer, device that transfers electric energy from one alternating-current circuit to one or more
other circuits, either increasing (stepping up) or reducing (stepping down) the voltage
Turbidity Meter, technically known as nephelometers – emit light and measure the amount scattered
by particles in the sample. The units depend on the wavelength of the light and the angle of the
detector(s); the most common units are Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) or Formazin
Nephelometric Units (FNU)
Turbine Pump, is a class of centrifugal pump which uses turbine-like impellers with radially oriented
teeth to move liquids. Turbine pumps are commonly used in installations which require high head, low
flow, and compact design. A vertical turbine pump commonly removes water from an underground
well or reservoir.
U
Part A- Engineering
UG-Tank, Underground tank is meant to store treated disinfected water supplied from the ULBs for
use by the residences of the building
ULBs, Urban Local Bodies mean Municipal Corporation, Municipality or Town that administers or
governs a city or a town of specified population Panchayat
Ultrafiltration, is a variety of membrane filtration in which hydrostatic pressure forces a liquid against
a semi permeable membrane. Suspended solids and solutes of high molecular weight are retained,
while water and low molecular weight solutes pass through the membrane
Ultrasonic, vibrations of frequencies greater than the upper limit of the audible range for humans that
is, greater than about 20 kilohertz. The term sonic is applied to ultrasound waves of very high
amplitudes
Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV), it is an in-situ, non-destructive test to check the quality of concrete
& natural rocks
Ultrasonic Water-meters, it comes with two transducers which trigger sound waves. Sound waves
determine the velocity of a water flowing in a pipe. Under no flow conditions, the frequencies of an
ultrasonic wave transmitted into a pipe and its reflections from the fluid are the same
Unconfined Aquifers, are those that rock is directly open at the surface of the ground and
groundwater is directly recharged, for example by rainfall or snow-melt. The Upper water surface of
unconfined aquifer is at atmosphere pressure
Up-Flow Filter, Upflow units contain a single filter medium–usually graded sand. The finest sand is at
the top of the bed with the coarsest sand below. Gravel is retained by grids in a fixed position at the
bottom of the unit. The function of the gravel is to ensure proper water distribution during the service
cycle.
Vertical Turbine Pumps, are centrifugal pumps, also known as the vertical pump, deep well, or line
shaft pump. They are designed to move water from underground wells or reservoirs
VFD Pump, short form of variable frequency drive is a type of drive that controls the speed, of a non-
servo, AC motor by varying the frequency of the electricity going to that motor. VFDs are typically used
for applications where speed and power are important.
Wastewater, is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence and
comprises liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or
agriculture and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations
Water Audit, is a systematic process of objectively obtaining a water balance by measuring flow of
water from the site of water withdrawal or treatment, through the distribution system, and into areas
where it is used and finally discharged
Part A- Engineering
Water Treatment, refers to a process, device, or structure used to improve the physical, chemical, or
biological quality of the water in a public water system
Water Distribution Networks, is a part of water supply network with components that carry potable
water from a centralized treatment plant or wells to consumers to satisfy residential, commercial,
industrial and firefighting requirements
Water Quality Index, provides a single number that expresses the overall water quality, at a certain
location and time, based on several water quality parameters. The objective of WQI is to turn complex
water quality data into information that is understandable and usable by the public
Zonal Balancing Reservoirs, are typically smaller than main balancing reservoirs and are located
within a specific zone of a water distribution system. They are used to regulate water pressure and
distribution within that zone.
Zero Velocity Valve, consists of a spring-loaded closing disc for stopping reverse flow in case of
failure of pumps. It is enclosed in an outer shell. As the forward velocity of water reduces to near zero,
the springs close the disc on the seat and breaks the returning water column to prevent positive
pressure surge
Zeolite, is a mineral that can form into a variety of structures made of arrays of aluminium