A
Advanced Treatment Unit: Small biological treatment systems used to treat wastewater to a higher degree compared to a traditional septic system. Sometimes referred to as “tertiary treatment systems,” these systems are typically aerobic and are designed to reduce nutrient loadings, whereas traditional septic systems are not.
Aquatic Algae: Rootless, microscopic, photosynthetic, eukaryotic organisms found in fresh and salt water.
Algal Bloom: A phenomenon whereby excessive nutrients within a water body cause an explosion of plant life which results in the depletion of oxygen in the water needed by aquatic life.
Alluvial Aquifer: The uppermost (shallow) aquifer made up of relatively thin layers of gravel, sand, and clay found in the valleys of major streams.
Ammonia: A compound of nitrogen and hydrogen (NH3) that is a common by-product of animal waste. Ammonia readily converts to nitrate in soils and streams.
Anthropogenic: Having to do with or caused by humans. Scientists use the term anthropogenic in referring to environmental change caused or influenced by people, either directly or indirectly.
Aquifer: A geologic formation that stores water and contains sufficient saturated permeable material to yield significant quantities of water to springs and wells.
Aquifer Protection Overlay District: A zoning area that protects the quality of groundwater in sand and gravel aquifers. APODS manage land use and development in areas above these aquifers to prevent contamination.
Atmospheric deposition: The transfer of substances from the air to the surface of the Earth, either in wet form (rain, fog, snow, dew, etc.) or in dry form (gases, aerosols, particles).
Aquitard: A geologic formation that may contain groundwater but is not capable of transmitting significant quantities of groundwater under normal hydraulic gradients. In some situations aquitards may function as confining beds.
B
Blackwater: Water that contains animal, human, or food waste.
C
Class 1 Waters: Class 1, Outstanding Waters. Class 1 waters are those surface waters in which no further water quality degradation by point source discharges other than from dams will be allowed. Primary Contact recreation refers to recreational activities such as swimming and kayaking, in which contact with water is prolonged and thus there is a likelihood of ingesting water.
Cyanobacteria: An ancient, diverse group of photosynthetic bacteria, sometimes referred to as blue-green algae (although they are prokaryotic), which naturally occur in aquatic ecosystems.
D
Discharge: The volume of water that passes a point per unit of time, commonly expressed in cubic feet per second, million gallons per day, gallons per minute, or seconds per minute per day. “River flow rate.”
Downstream: Downstream is in the direction of or nearer to the mouth of a stream or river.
Drinking water: Water that is safe for ingestion, whether consumed directly in liquid form or indirectly through food. Section 305(a) of the Clean Water Act requires states to prepare a water quality inventory that designates and classifies certain waters for drinking water use.
E
E. coli: Type of bacteria that is commonly found in the intestines of people and animals, and is also present in large quantities in feces. E.coli contaminates water bodies when it is found in such.
Ecosystem: The interactions between a biological community and its non-living environmental surroundings; a complex system composed of flora and fauna, taking into account the chemical and physical environment with which the system is interrelated.
Effluent: Any substance, particularly a liquid, that enters the environment from a point source. Generally refers to wastewater from a sewage treatment or industrial plant.
F
Fecal indicator bacteria: A group of bacteria (primarily fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci) found in the waste of warm-blooded animals. Their presence in water indicates contamination and the possible presence of pathogenic (disease-producing) organisms.
Fen: Peat-forming wetlands that receive nutrients from sources other than precipitation, usually from upslope sources through drainage from surrounding mineral soils and from groundwater movement. Fens differ from bogs because they are less acidic and have higher nutrient levels.
G
Gravel-bed river ecosystem: Dynamic river systems characterized by gravel and cobbles that move with flooding, changing river channels, and a constant flow and exchange of water into and out of the gravel between the surface water and groundwater.
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: One of the last remaining large, nearly intact ecosystems in the northern temperate zone of the Earth. It is located within the northern Rocky Mountains and has a diversity of natural wealth. The headwaters of the Snake River, Madison River, and Yellowstone River are found in Yellowstone National Park.
Greywater: Untreated wastewater that has not been contaminated by any toilet discharge; that is unaffected by infectious, contaminated, or unhealthy bodily wastes; and does not present a threat from contamination by unhealthful processing, manufacturing, or operating wastes. “Greywater” includes but is not limited to wastewater from bathtubs, showers, washbasins, clothes washing machines (unless soiled diapers are serviced), laundry tubs, and kitchen sinks.
Groundwater: Water that has seeped beneath the earth’s surface downward through soil and becomes stored underground in rock crevices and in the pores of geologic materials that make up Earth’s crust. Groundwater is the source of water found in wells and springs and is used frequently for drinking.
H
Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom (HCB): Dense concentrations of cyanobacteria that pose a health risk to people and animals.
Headwaters: The source or sources and upper part of a stream, especially of a large stream or river.
Hyporheic Zone: Areas of the streambed and near-stream aquifers through which stream water flows. It has been identified as critically important in stream nutrient cycling, in moderating stream temperature regimes, and in creating unique habitats within streams.
I
Impaired Waters: Waters with chronic or recurring monitored violations of the applicable numeric or narrative water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA Section 303(d)). States are required to develop lists of impaired waters and set priority rankings for the waters on the list and develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for those waters.
L
Leach field: (drain field) An underground network of pipes that receives wastewater from a septic tank and filters it before it returns to groundwater.
Lentic: Lake ecosystems encompassing still waters such as lakes, ponds, or swamps.
Livestock: Domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting in order to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption. Examples of livestock would be cattle, chickens, goats, sheep, or horses.
Lotic: Flowing freshwater environments where unidirectional water moves along a slope in response to gravity.
N
Nitrate: A compound of nitrogen and oxygen (NO3-) that can exist in water as a dissolved gas. A plant nutrient and inorganic fertilizer, nitrate is found in animal feed lots, agricultural fertilizers, manure, industrial wastewaters, sanitary landfills, and garbage dumps.
Nitrogen: A plant nutrient that can cause an overabundance of bacteria and algae when high amounts are present, leading to a depletion of oxygen and death of fish. High levels of nitrogen in water are usually caused by agricultural runoff or improperly operating wastewater treatment plants.
Nonpoint source: Diffuse pollution sources (i.e., without a single point of origin or not introduced into a receiving stream from a specific outlet). The pollutants are generally carried off the land by stormwater. Common nonpoint sources are agriculture, forestry, urban, mining, construction, dams, channels, land disposal, saltwater intrusion, and city streets.
Nutrient pollution: Contamination of water resources by excessive inputs of nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus. In surface waters, excess algal production is a major concern. Nutrient pollution also impacts drinking water (e.g. nitrate contamination).
P
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): A large group of synthetic chemicals that are human-made and have been used in many consumer products and industrial processes since the 1940s. They are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily.
Phosphorus: A nutrient essential for growth that can play a key role in stimulating aquatic growth in lakes and streams.
Phreatic Zone: (Zone of Saturation) Soil or rock located below the top of the groundwater table that is saturated with water. 40 CFR 260.10 defines the zone of saturation as: the part of the earth’s crust in which all voids are filled with water.
Phytoplankton: A collection of microscopic photosynthetic organisms (aquatic algae and cyanobacteria) that live in watery environments (both salty and fresh).
Point source: Any discernible, confined and discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation or vessel or other floating craft, from which pollutants are or may be discharged.
Pollutant: Any substance that, when present in a hydrologic system at sufficient concentration, degrades water quality in ways that are or could become harmful to human and/or ecological health, or impair the use of water for recreation, agriculture, industry, commerce or domestic purposes.
Private drinking water well: A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring, or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. A “private individual well” means any water well constructed for a person on land which is owned or leased by that person and is usually intended for household or agricultural use.
Public Water System: Any water system which provides water to at least 25 people for at least 60 days annually. There are more than 170,000 PWSs providing water from wells, rivers, or other sources to about 250 million Americans. There are different standards for PWSs of different sizes and types.
R
Riparian: Pertaining to or situated on the bank of a natural body of flowing water.
Riparian zone: A stream and all the vegetation on its banks.
S
Sediment: Soil particles, sand, and minerals washed from the land into aquatic systems as a result of natural and human activities.
Septic system: An on-site system designed to treat and dispose of domestic sewage. A typical anaerobic septic system consists of a tank that receives waste from a residence or business and a system of tile lines or a pit for disposal of the liquid effluent (sludge) that remains after decomposition of the solids by bacteria in the tank.
Sewer service line: A main sewer line that runs from a home to the street and is considered an underground utility line. It carries waste from sinks, toilets, and tubs, and is usually connected to a city’s sewer system.
Sewer system: A network of underground pipes, manholes, pumping stations, and other components that collect and dispose of wastewater and stormwater from homes, businesses, and industries.
Small wastewater facility: Any sewerage system, disposal system or treatment works having simple hydrologic and engineering needs which is intended for wastes originating from a single residential unit serving no more than four families or which distributes 2,000 gallons or less of domestic sewage per day. This shall include wastewater lift stations and appurtenances, or other wastewater systems that consist of more than simply a building sewer.
Snake River Headwaters: The headwaters of the Snake River are located in Wyoming and include parts of the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. They are high quality snowmelt-dominated streams containing diverse, abundant native species.
Sole Source Aquifer: An aquifer that supplies at least 50% of the drinking water for the area above it. The EPA designated the Snake River Alluvial Aquifer as the sole source aquifer for drinking water in Teton County, Wyoming. It provides drinking water for almost the entire population of the region, and there is no other source if it becomes contaminated.
Source Water Assessment: A study or report that generates information about potential contaminant sources and the potential for systems to be impacted by these sources. A completed source water assessment for a public water system often includes a delineated source water protection area (SWPA) and or zones of concern, an inventory of potential contaminant sources and characterization of land activities located within the water protection area, a determination and/or ranking of the public water system’s susceptibility to contamination by identified significant contaminant sources, and a process for informing the public about threats identified in the assessment and what they mean for the water system.
Source Water Protection Plan: A map of the land area that contributes water to the drinking water supply and where pollution from human activities or natural sources poses the greatest threat to source water quality. The SWPA designates the area within which a water system will conduct a potential contaminant source inventory.
Stormwater runoff: Storm water from city streets and adjacent domestic or commercial properties that carries pollutants of various kinds into the sewer systems and receiving waters.
Surface Water: Water that is on the Earth’s surface, such as in a stream, river, lake, or reservoir.
Total coliforms: A group of bacteria that are found in the environment, including in water. They are a basic test for bacterial contamination in water supplies and to determine the effectiveness of drinking water treatment systems and the integrity of distribution systems.
Total Maximum Daily Load: A calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards. States are required to develop total maximum daily load (TMDL) pollutant levels for waterways that are not adequately meeting federal Clean Water Act water quality standards.
V
Vadose Zone: The zone between land surface and the water table within which the moisture content is less than saturation (except in the capillary fringe) and pressure is less than atmospheric. Soil pore space also typically contains air or other gases. The capillary fringe is included in the vadose zone.
W
Wastewater: The used water and solids from a community (including used water from industrial processes) that flow to a treatment plant. Storm water, surface water, and ground water infiltration also may be included in the wastewater that enters a wastewater treatment plant.
Wastewater treatment: Chemical, biological, and mechanical procedures applied to an industrial or municipal discharge or to any other sources of contaminated water in order to remove, reduce, or neutralize contaminants.
Wastewater Treatment Plant (Facility): A facility containing a series of tanks, screens, filters, and other processes by which pollutants are removed from water. Most treatments include chlorination to attain safe drinking water standards. DWMAPS points represent NPDES permitted discharge points to receiving waters.
Water quality: The biological, chemical, and physical conditions of a waterbody. It is a measure of a waterbody’s ability to support beneficial uses.
Water resources: Natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water.
Watershed: A drainage area or basin in which all land and water areas drain or flow toward a central collector such as a stream, river, or lake at a lower elevation.
Wellhead Protection Area: Areas designated by states according to Section 1428 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended, to protect wells and recharge areas that supply public drinking water systems.
Waterways: (rivers, streams, creeks, springs) A way or channel for water. Also known as a “waterbody”.
Well Test Kit: A collection of equipment that can analyze the chemistry of water from a well. It can measure contaminants such as: pH, alkalinity, metals, bacteria, or inorganic chemicals.
Wetland Areas: (like swamps, marshes, bogs, fens, or others) inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.
Wild and Scenic River: A river that has been designated by Congress to be protected in its free-flowing state. The goal is to preserve the river’s water quality, outstanding values, and allow future generations to enjoy it. Rivers are considered wild and scenic if they have at least one “outstanding remarkable value” such as: scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, or cultural.