Impervious material

Material that does not let any liquid pass through it (11)

Improved sources (of water)

Water sources that are protected from contamination (1)

Incident (water supply)

An emergency situation such as a burst pipe (8)

Indicator

Biological species that gives information about the environment (2)

Infectious agents

Micro-organisms and viruses that can invade the human body and cause disease (2)

Inorganic material

Material that does not originate from living organisms (4)

Internally displaced people (IDP)

People who have been forced to flee to another part of their own country due to factors beyond their control (14)

Labour productivity

Amount of work that each employee does (15)

Leachate

Polluting liquid that is produced when water passes through materials and takes with it components from them; usually used to describe the polluted water that seeps out from solid waste disposal sites (4)

Leakage

Escape of water from pipes or other parts of the water distribution system (7)

Life-cycle cost

(of an asset) the sum of one-time, non-recurring costs and recurring costs over the life of the asset (6)

Maintenance

Planned technical activities, or activities carried out in response to a breakdown, to ensure that assets are functioning effectively (6)

Maturation ponds

In a waste stabilisation pond system for wastewater treatment, ponds in which the pathogenic bacteria and viruses in an effluent are eliminated (11)

Mechanised

Where machines are used to carry out a function (5)

Microenterprises

Small businesses with fewer than ten people working in them (15)

Microfiltration

Method for separating particles from water that are 0.05 to 0.5 µm in size (14)

Microloan

Small amount of money lent at a low interest rate to a person on a low income (13)

Micro-organisms

Tiny living organisms only visible using a microscope (1)

Microstrainer

(in water treatment) rotating drum with a stainless steel fabric with mesh size ranging from 15 µm to 64 µm (5)

Moringa fruit

Fruit of the moringa tree, which grows in tropical countries and can be used as a coagulant for water treatment (10)

Last modified: Sunday, 2 October 2016, 2:21 PM