Drinking water and sanitation

Unplanned water flow from a pipe, through a narrow or hidden slot.

A method used for passing water through a bed of filter material to improve its quality.

Removal of suspended solids from a fluid (according to their particle size). Gravity or pressure filtration can be carried out through a porous wall (screen, membrane) or through a granular material (sand, anthracite, gravel and other materials used in biofiltration). One distinguishes screening (0.15-2.5 mm), micro-screening (25-150 μm), microfiltration (1-100 μm), ultrafiltration (1 - 0.1 μm) or nanofiltration (10 - 100 nm) depending on the size of the retained particles or the pores of the device.

Organised series of processes for the treatment of water intended for human consumption.

A tower with an elevated high-capacity tank used to store drinking water and then convey it by gravity pipes.

It is a technique to remove minerals that cause water hardness, especially calcium and magnesium.

A technique consisting in exchanging the calcium and magnesium ions, which are not very soluble and which react with the carbonates of water to form limestone, with the sodium ions which are perfectly soluble in water. This operation is named "ion exchange".

Exchanger used to partially recover the thermal energy of wastewater.

Space developed between the wastewater treatment plant and the receiving environment of treated wastewater discharges (it is not part of the wastewater treatment plant). The vegetated discharge areas (VDA) are characterised by the use of plants (mostly aquatic but possibly also terrestrial) and their planting close to the treatment plant, in the space remaining after the building of this plant. The VDA is not a wetland as there is no "long presence of natural water". It is also not a grass strip, specific to the mitigation of non-point source pollution (pesticides, fertilisers, sediments, etc.), especially in agriculture.

Law making the necessary amendments to the legislative framework to implement the numerous European directives for defining the quality standards that water must meet for certain uses (drinking water, bathing water, fish-breeding water, shellfish waters). One of the strengths of the law of 3 January 1992 is the introduction of two new global water resources planning systems: master plans for water development and management (SDAGE) for each of the major French river basins, and water management and management plans (SAGE) developed on a more local scale. Contrary to the 1964 law, the 1992 law does not imply any obligation to monitor environments but it reinforces the principles of protection of aquatic ecosystems and consultation between water users and stakeholders. The evolution of knowledge is also making it clear that the assessment of river quality must be done by considering the different components of the environment (water and substrate) and the organisms that live in it.

Regulatory system resulting from the law on water and aquatic environments of 30 December 2006, intended to implement action plans for the protection of zones with environmental stakes, especially in aquatic environments (areas of drinking water intakes, wetlands, areas prone to soil erosion).

Amount of money paid by all inhabitants of a community according to their water consumption. The individual actions of each inhabitant to reduce his own consumption (wastage control, leak detection...) may directly lower the amounts paid.