A-B

Abstraction

Taking water from a source such as groundwater or a river (1)

Acoustic logger

Device attached to a pipe that can indicate a leak when the noise in the pipe changes (7)

Active leakage control

Searching for leaks and repairing them (7)

Aerated

Supplied with air (5)

Aerobic

Containing oxygen (4)

Algal bloom

Rapid increase in the population of microscopic algae in water (4)

Anaerobic

Without oxygen (4)

Aquaculture

Farming of aquatic (water-living) organisms (1)

Aquifers

Layers of underground rock that hold water (3)

Asset management

Systematic process of deploying, operating, maintaining and upgrading assets to ensure continuous water supply at minimal cost (9)

Asset register

List of all the fixed assets of an organisation with information pertaining to the assets (6)

Assets

Components of a water supply system, such as the treatment plants, process units and all the equipment and facilities (6)

Audit trail

Documentation of the sequence of activities that led to a given decision (8)

Back-siphonage

The drawing of external water into a water main as a result of a reduction in pressure in the water main (7)

Bacteria

Single-celled organisms ranging in size from 0.5 to 5.0 µm (2)

Biodegradation

The breaking down of complex substances into simpler substances by micro-organisms (11)

Block (water supply)

A given amount of water for which there is a certain water tariff (13)