Water knowledge
WATERPEDIA
Technical water terms, definitions and acronyms.
TechnicalEN
wastewater
water that has been used in homes, industries, and businesses that is not for reuse unless it is treated.
View definitionTechnicalEN
wastewater-treatment return flow
water returned to the environment by wastewater-treatment facilities
View definitionTechnicalEN
water cycle
the circuit of water movement from the oceans to the atmosphere and to the Earth and return to the atmosphere through various stages or processes such as precipitation, interception, runoff, infiltration, percolation, storage,...
View definitionTechnicalEN
water quality
a term used to describe the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water, usually in respect to its suitability for a particular purpose.
View definitionTechnicalEN
water table
the top of the water surface in the saturated part of an aquifer.
View definitionTechnicalEN
water use
water that is used for a specific purpose, such as for domestic use, irrigation, or industrial processing. Water use pertains to human's interaction with and influence on the hydrologic cycle, and includes elements, such as water...
View definitionTechnicalEN
water year
a continuous 12-month period selected to present data relative to hydrologic or meteorological phenomena during which a complete annual hydrologic cycle normally occurs. The water year used by the U.S. Geological Survey runs from...
View definitionTechnicalEN
watershed
the land area that drains water to a particular stream, river, or lake. It is a land feature that can be identified by tracing a line along the highest elevations between two areas on a map, often a ridge. Large watersheds, like the...
View definitionTechnicalEN
watthour (Wh)
an electrical energy unit of measure equal to one watt of power supplied to, or taken from, an electrical circuit steadily for one hour.
View definitionAcronymsEN
WCP
World Climate Programme
View definitionTechnicalEN
well (water)
an artificial excavation put down by any method for the purposes of withdrawing water from the underground aquifers. A bored, drilled, or driven shaft, or a dug hole whose depth is greater than the largest surface dimension and whose...
View definitionAcronymsEN
WEPA
Water Environment Partnership in Asia
View definition