HomeMy WebLinkAbout00.99-Agenda Terminology Glossary.pdf ORANGE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT
Agenda
Terminology Glossary
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
AQMD Air Quality Management District
ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers
BOD Biochemical Oxygen Demand
CARB California Air Resources Board
CASA California Association of Sanitation Agencies
CCTV Closed Circuit Television
CEQA California Environmental Quality Act
CRWQCB California Regional Water Quality Control Board
CWA Clean Water Act
CWEA California Water Environment Association
EIR Environmental Impact Report
EMT Executive Management Team
EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
FOG Fats, Oils, and Grease
FSSD Facilities Support Services Department
gpd Gallons per day
GWR System Groundwater Replenishment System (also called GWRS)
ICS Incident Command System
IERP Integrated Emergency Control Plan
LOS Level of Service
MGD Million gallons per day
NACWA National Association of Clean Water Agencies
NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
NWRI National Water Research Institute
O&M Operations and Maintenance
OCCOG Orange County Council of Governments
OCHCA Orange County Health Care Agency
OCSD Orange County Sanitation District
OCWD Orange County Water District
GOBS Ocean Outfall Booster Station
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
PCSA Professional Consultant Services Agreement
POTW Publicly Owned Treatment Works
ppm Parts per million
PSA Professional Services Agreement
RFP Request For Proposal
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
RWQCB Regional Water Quality Control Board
SARFPA Santa Ana River Flood Protection Agency
SARI Santa Ana River Inceptor
SARWQCB Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board
SAW PA Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority
SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system
SCAP Southern California Alliance of Publicly Owned Treatment Works
SCAQMD South Coast Air Quality Management District
SOCWA South Orange County Wastewater Authority
SSMP Sanitary Sewer Management Plan
SSO Sanitary Sewer Overflow
SWRCB State Water Resources Control Board
TDS Total Dissolved Solids
TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load
TSS Total Suspended Solids
WDR Waste Discharge Requirements
WEF Water Environment Federation
WERF Water Environment Research Foundation
Activated-sludge process — A secondary biological wastewater treatment process where bacteria
reproduce at a high rate with the introduction of excess air or oxygen, and consume dissolved
nutrients in the wastewater.
Benthos — The community of organisms, such as sea stars, worms and shrimp, which live on, in, or
near the seabed, also know as the benthic zone.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)—The amount of oxygen used when organic matter undergoes
decomposition by microorganisms. Testing for BOD is done to assess the amount of organic matter in
water.
Biosolids — Biosolids are nutrient rich organic and highly treated solid materials produced by the
wastewater treatment process. This high-quality product can be recycled as a soil amendment on
farm land or further processed as an earth-like product for commercial and home gardens to improve
and maintain fertile soil and stimulate plant growth.
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) — Projects for repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of assets.
Also includes treatment improvements, additional capacity, and projects for the support facilities.
Coliform bacteria—A group of bacteria found in the intestines of humans and other animals, but also
occasionally found elsewhere used as indicators of sewage pollution. E. coli are the most common
bacteria in wastewater.
Collections system — In wastewater, it is the system of typically underground pipes that receive and
convey sanitary wastewater or storm water.
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
Certificate of Participation (COP) -A type of financing where an investor purchases a share of the
lease revenues of a program rather than the bond being secured by those revenues.
Contaminants of Potential Concern (CPC) - Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic
wastewater contaminants.
Dilution to Threshold (D!f) - the dilution at which the majority of the people detect the odor
becomes the D(f for that air sample.
Greenhouse gases - In the order of relative abundance water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane,
nitrous oxide, and ozone gases that are considered the cause of global warming ("greenhouse
effect").
Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) System - A joint water reclamation project that proactively
responds to Southern California's current and future water needs. This joint project between the
Orange County Water District and the Orange County Sanitation District provides 70 million gallons a
day of drinking quality water to replenish the local groundwater supply.
Levels of Service (LOS)-Goals to support environmental and public expectations for performance.
NOMA- N-Nitrosodimethylamine is an N-nitrosoamine suspected cancer-causing agent. It has been
found in the Groundwater Replenishment System process and is eliminated using hydrogen peroxide
with extra ultra-violet treatment.
National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) - An alliance of the National Association of Clean Water
Agencies (NACWA) and Water Environment Federation (WEF), with advisory support from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). NBP is committed to developing and advancing
environmentally sound and sustainable biosolids management practices that go beyond regulatory
compliance and promote public participation in order to enhance the credibility of local agency
biosolids programs and improved communications that lead to public acceptance.
Plume-A visible or measurable concentration of discharge from a stationary source or fixed facility.
Publicly-owned Treatment Works (POTW)- Municipal wastewater treatment plant.
Santa Ana River Interceptor (SARI) Line - A regional brine line designed to convey 30 million
gallons per day (MGD) of non-reclaimable wastewater from the upper Santa Ana River basin to the
ocean for disposal, after treatment.
Sanitary sewer - Separate sewer systems specifically for the carrying of domestic and industrial
wastewater. Combined sewers carry both wastewater and urban run-off.
South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) - Regional regulatory agency that
develops plans and regulations designed to achieve public health standards by reducing emissions
from business and industry.
Secondary treatment - Biological wastewater treatment, particularly the activated-sludge process,
where bacteria and other microorganisms consume dissolved nutrients in wastewater.
Sludge - Untreated solid material created by the treatment of wastewater.
Total suspended solids (TSS)-The amount of solids floating and in suspension in wastewater.
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
Trickling filter — A biological secondary treatment process in which bacteria and other
microorganisms, growing as slime on the surface of rocks or plastic media, consume nutrients in
wastewater as it trickles over them.
Urban runoff — Water from city streets and domestic properties that carry pollutants into the storm
drains, rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Wastewater—Any water that enters the sanitary sewer.
Watershed —A land area from which water drains to a particular water body. OCSD's service area is
in the Santa Ana River Watershed.