W


Return to the Alpha Quick Pick

Waste : Garbage, trash

Waste Site: Dumping ground.

Waste Wtream: Overall waste disposal cycle for a given population.

Water Filters: Substances (such as charcoal) or fine membrane structures used to remove impurities from water.

Water Pollution : Industrial wastes, and other harmful material in quantitis to result in a measurable degradation of the water quality.

Water Quality: The level of purity of water; the safety or purity of drinking water.

Water Quality Testing: Monitoring water for various contaminants to make sure it is safe for fish protection, drinking, and swimming.

Water Supply : Any quantity of available water.

Water Supply System : The system for the collection, storage, treatment and distribution of water from the source to the consumer.

Water Table : The level to which water will rise in a well (except artesian wells).

Waterborne Contaminants: Unhealthy chemicals, microorganisms (like bacteria) or radiation, found in tap water.

Watershed : A region or area over which water flows into a particular lake, reservoir, stream, or river.

Well : A dug or drilled hole used to get water from the earth.

Wetland : Land (marshes or swamps) saturated with water constantly or recurrently; conducive to wide biodiversity.

Wheeling : Transmitting bulk electricity from a generating plant to a distribution system across a third system's lines. The transmission of electricity owned by one entity through the facilities owned by another (usually a utility).

Wilderness : Land remaining in basically wild (i.e., undisturbed) condition, with few if any traces of human activities.

Wilderness Area: A wild area that Congress has preserved by including it in the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Wildlife : Animals living in the wilderness without human intervention.

Wildlife Refuges: Land set aside to protect certain species of fish or wildlife (administered at the federal level in the U.S. by the Fish and Wildlife Service).

Windpower : Power or energy derived from the wind (via windmills, sails, etc.).

Wise Use Movement: A loosely affiliated network of people and organizations throughout the U.S. in favor of widespread privatization and opposed to environmental regulation, often funded by corporate dollars.


Wilson Community College | P.O. Box 4305 • 902 Herring Avenue | Wilson, NC 27893 | Phone: (252) 291-1195 | Fax: (252) 243-7148