Glossaire de A à Z

Any object or event obstructing the natural flow of a river. Obstacle to flow includes dams, sills, locks, etc, that affect the flow of water.

All treatment processes that remove wastewater from an individual single-family home usually on the plot on which the house is built, without any wastewater conveyance. An extension (rarer) concerns the wastewater treatment of some neighbouring houses on private land. It is still on-site sanitation but it is regrouped. On the contrary, a group having a small collecting system and a treatment facility (spreading, filters, etc.) on community land is considered community sanitation. On-site sanitation is first defined as opposed to community sanitation.

Control to establish, as part of the water status monitoring programme, the status of water bodies which are not fully guaranteed to achieve their environmental objectives, and assess the effectiveness of programmes of measures on them.

Administrative decision of general interest (e.g. ministerial order of 29 February 1992 laying down a number of rules for all cattle farms subject to authorization) or individual (e.g. Prefect's order setting out the specific rules that the classified facility operated by Mr. X must comply with). Orders can be issued by ministers (ministerial or inter-ministerial orders), prefects (prefectural or prefect's orders) or mayors (municipal orders). The

Organic active ingredient, usually synthesized by the chemical industry, whose accumulation, even at low concentrations, can be toxic. The main organic micropollutants controlled are volatile organic compounds (VOC), hydrocarbons, andpolychlorinated biphenyl(PCB).