Glossary

  • Aeration - to supply with air
  • Anaerobic digesters - a process that stabilizes wastewater solids using microorganisms that can live without free oxygen
  • Biosolids - solid or semisolid material obtained from treated wastewater, often used as fertilizer
  • Clarifiers - sedimentation tanks used to remove solid matter from wastewater
  • Denitrification - conversion of nitrate nitrogen to inert nitrogen gas
  • Dewatering - the process of removing water from a waste product
  • Effluent - treated water discharged from a wastewater treatment facility
  • Infiltration/Inflow - water that enters into a wastewater collection system through leaking or broken pipes, manholes, manhole covers, etc.
  • Influent - wastewater entering a treatment facility
  • Microorganisms - an organism of microscopic size
  • Nitrification - the conversion of ammonia to nitrate nitrogen
  • Non-potable - not suitable for drinking
  • Organic - derived from living organisms
  • Organism - an individual form of life such as plant, animal, or bacterium
  • Potable - suitable for drinking
  • Reclaimed water - wastewater that has been through advanced treatment steps so it can be reused for non-potable purposes
  • Residuals - solids removed during treatment
  • Soluble - able to be easily dissolved
  • Tertiary - advanced treatment process