Water Utilities Industry Terminology

We're piloting AMI to enable hourly consumption data and leak alerts.; AMI integration with our billing system cut estimated bills by 90%;; The AMI capital program is a major driver in this year's rate case.

We selected UV-H2O2 AOP to address micro-constituents.; Piloting ozone plus peroxide improved geosmin removal.; AOP is being evaluated as a polishing step after RO.

Our water audit follows AWWA M36.; We design mains per AWWA C900 and C906 standards.; Staff will present at the AWWA Annual Conference (ACE).

The asset register supports risk-based renewal planning.; ISO 55000 maturity assessment highlighted gaps in our AMP.; Criticality scores now drive valve replacement priorities.

Annual testing of backflow assemblies is due this quarter.; A failed RPZ at the industrial site triggered a boil-water advisory.; Our CCC ordinance requires containment backflow at all high-risk services.

Influent BOD averages 240 mg/L in winter.; The pretreatment program reduced high-strength BOD from food processors.; Our secondary process consistently meets BOD effluent limits.

We converted to BNR to meet the TMDL.; Anoxic zones improved total nitrogen removal.; Enhanced BNR allowed us to defer chemical phosphorus addition.

AMI and main renewal dominate our 5-year CAPEX plan.; The board approved $120M CAPEX financed via revenue bonds.; CAPEX ramp-up increases rate base in the next rate case.

Our plant's NPDES renewal adds stricter ammonia limits.; CSO control is required under our CWA consent decree.; We received a CWA Section 319 grant for nonpoint source work.

Jar testing optimized alum dose at 35 mg/L.; Switching to PACl lowered sludge production.; Poor floc formation prompted mixer speed changes.

We trimmed chlorine contact time to curb DBPs.; GAC was added to reduce DBP precursors.; Quarterly DBP sampling hit a compliance trigger level.

Creating DMAs cut NRW by 4%.; DMA nightline data flagged a rising leak in Zone 3.; We rebalanced DMAs to stabilize pressures.

Effluent TSS averaged 6 mg/L this month.; We supply effluent for golf course irrigation via purple pipe.; A toxicity failure required an RCA on effluent chlorination.

The ERP was activated during the main break.; We completed an ERP tabletop for a cyber intrusion scenario.; Our ERP aligns with AWIA risk assessments.

GIS now stores valve criticality and turn counts.; Work orders sync from CMMS to GIS.; GIS layers improved main replacement prioritization.

GAC changeouts extended filter run times.; Pilot tests confirmed GAC breakthrough for PFOA at 80,000 bed volumes.; We added GAC to address MIB/geosmin complaints.

The far-end sample hit 55 µg/L HAA5.; Lowering TOC entering the plant reduced HAA5 formation.; We adjusted pH to moderate HAA formation kinetics.

Our ILI dropped from 3.2 to 2.1 after pressure management.; Benchmarking ILI showed us above peer median.; The NRW plan targets ILI under 2.0 in three years.

Our LCR sample pool includes Tier 1 sites.; The LCRR requires a complete service line inventory.; We optimized orthophosphate for LCR compliance.

GIS now flags all suspected LSLs.; The LSL replacement program coordinates with paving.; Customer-owned LSL portions are replaced at no cost in our plan.

The new PFAS MCLs affect two of our wells.; Our nitrate MCL compliance requires seasonal blending.; Operators track arsenic near 8–9 µg/L to avoid MCL exceedance.

The new NPDES permit adds whole effluent toxicity testing.; We negotiated a compliance schedule for phosphorus under NPDES.; Noncompliance with NPDES can trigger stipulated penalties.

AMI helped pinpoint apparent losses from under-registering meters.; Pressure management lowered real losses.; Our AWWA water audit quantified NRW at 22%.

O&M savings funded additional main replacements.; Energy is our largest O&M line item.; Outsourcing O&M at small plants improved compliance.

We increased ortho dose after a pH shift.; Seasonal water chemistry changes prompted orthophosphate optimization.; Corrosion coupon results guided ortho setpoints.

GAC and RO are our primary PFAS controls.; We issued a PFAS advisory pending treatment startup.; Source tracking identified a PFAS plume.

We added a PRV to stabilize the high zone.; The new tank will create a separate pressure zone.; Cross-zone flows were eliminated to avoid low pressures.

Chain-of-custody lapses triggered QA/QC retraining.; The lab's QA/QC plan follows Standard Methods.; We added duplicate samples for QA/QC at DBP sites.

Placing the plant in service increases rate base.; CWIP exclusions reduced RAB in this case.; Asset impairments lower future rate base growth.

We filed a general rate case with a test year forecast.; Intervenors challenged the AMI spend in the rate case.; A settlement reduced the requested increase by half.

We moved to inclining blocks for single-family customers.; Fixed charge adjustments improved revenue stability.; A drought surcharge was added to the rate design.

Low residuals at dead-ends prompted UDF.; We switched to chloramines to maintain a stable residual.; Operators target 1.0–1.5 mg/L at system extremities.

The brackish wellfield feeds a 6 MGD RO.; RO concentrate management is our key constraint.; Post-RO stabilization adds alkalinity and hardness.

The commission set ROE at 9.7%.; ROE sensitivity materially affects the revenue requirement.; Strong performance supported an ROE stay-out provision.

The LT2 rule required UV at our plant under SDWA.; We updated our sampling plan for new SDWA PFAS rules.; AWIA risk assessment requirements stem from SDWA amendments.

SCADA trends showed a pump short-cycling issue.; We segmented SCADA networks to improve cybersecurity.; The new HMI standardizes SCADA graphics across sites.

Our SWP plan restricts chemical storage in the wellhead area.; Watershed partnerships reduced nutrient loads.; Early-warning buoys alert us to cyanotoxins.

We secured SRF loans for the GAC retrofit.; SRF requires American Iron and Steel compliance.; Debt service savings from SRF reduced the rate impact.

Our tariff includes drought surcharges.; A new connection fee schedule was added to the tariff.; The tariff clarifies customer-side leak adjustments.

Blending reduced TDS to 650 mg/L.; High TDS requires antiscalant dosing in RO.; Customers reported taste changes as TDS rose seasonally.

Clarifier upgrades lowered effluent TSS.; High TSS triggered a filter-to-waste protocol.; Industrial surcharges are based partly on TSS loadings.

Mid-system TTHM exceeded 80 µg/L last quarter.; Lowering water age brought TTHM back into compliance.; We evaluated aeration to strip THMs in tanks.

Filter effluent turbidity stayed under 0.1 NTU.; Storm events spiked raw water turbidity.; High turbidity triggered a CT recalculation.

UV reactors provide 3-log Crypto inactivation.; Lamp fouling increased UV dose demand.; UV-AOP was selected to treat 1,4-dioxane.

UDF reduced iron complaints in Zone 5.; We updated the UDF plan using the hydraulic model.; UDF restored residuals in a dead-end loop.

VFDs cut energy by 18% at the booster.; A failed VFD caused low pressure overnight.; We added VFD bypasses for reliability.

The validated water audit scored 85 this year.; Audit results justified meter replacements.; The audit highlighted data gaps in production meters.

WIFIA financed 49% of the plant upgrade.; Pairing WIFIA with SRF lowered our blended cost of capital.; We passed a WIFIA readiness checklist in pre-application.

We requested generators through WARN after the storm.; Joining WARN streamlined resource agreements.; WARN training covered ICS roles for utilities.

Rising rates increased our WACC by 80 bps.; The commission approved a lower WACC given current debt markets.; Sensitivity to WACC drives our financing strategy.