Within the definitions, words that are italic are defined elsewhere in the glossary.
Aesthetic
Pleasing or acceptable to the senses, primarily taste, odour, and vision.
Aquifer
The saturated underground formation that will yield usable amounts of water to a well or spring. The formation could be sand, gravel, limestone, or sandstone. The water in an aquifer is called groundwater.
Chlorine
Chlorine in one of a number of forms is added to water to destroy or deactivate disease-causing micro-organisms and is the most widely used disinfectant in Canada.
Coliform
A group of related bacteria whose presence in drinking water may indicate contamination by disease-causing micro-organisms.
Disinfectant
A chemical (commonly chlorine, chloramine, or ozone) or physical process (e.g. ultraviolet light) that kills micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.
Ca
The scientific abbreviation for calcium, used in reports to refer to calcium-containing compounds that may occur in ground water.
Fe
The scientific abbreviation for iron, used in reports to refer to iron-containing compounds that may occur in ground water.
Fecal Coliform Bacteria
Bacteria found in the intestinal tracts of mammals and, therefore, in fecal matter. Their presence in water is an indicator of pollution and possible contamination by pathogens. To comply with regulations, no sample can contain fecal coliform.
Ground Water
The water that systems pump and treat from aquifers.
Hardness
The concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions expressed in terms of calcium carbonate. Most natural water supplies contain at least some hardness due to dissolved calcium and magnesium salts. Other minerals, such as iron, may contribute to the hardness of water, but in natural water, they are generally present in insignificant quantities.
Mn
Scientific abbreviation for manganese, used in reports to refer to manganese-containing compounds that may occur in ground water.
Parts Per Million (ppm)
A measure of proportion by weight which is equivalent to one unit of weight of solute (dissolved substance) per million weights of solution. Since one litre of water weighs one million milligrams, one ppm is equal to one milligram per litre (mg/L). Milligram per litre is the preferred unit of measure in water or waste-water analysis.
Pathogen
An organism, generally a micro-organism, causing or capable of causing disease or death; a disease-producing agent, usually applied to a living organism, any worms, protozoans, viruses, bacteria, or fungi that cause disease.
Surface Water
The water that systems pump and treat from sources open to the atmosphere, such as rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
Total Coliform
Bacteria that are used as indicators of fecal contaminants in drinking water. To comply with regulations, no water sample should contain more than 10 total coliform per 100 mL.
Turbidity
The cloudy appearance of water caused by the presence of tiny particles. High levels of turbidity may interfere with proper water treatment and monitoring.