Adaptive management: Learn by doing by building adaptive capacity & delivering adaptive actions

Anaerobic (vs aerobic) digestion: no free atmospheric O2 for respiration; use other (e.g. sulphates to sulphides, the typical rotten egg smell(Wi) compounds for this(Me)

Bio-degradation: via metabolic function of microbes, esp. bacteria, to mineralise or stabilize pollutants(Me)

Biofilter*: Typical media filled filter often vegetated for flow attenuation and microbial treatment of SW (*Biofilter: is also referred to as trickling filters in WWT(Wi))

Biomimicry: guided by ecology in system, process / function & form(Ke): hydrological & food cycle here

BMP: known most effective / efficient method or well defined procedures for near optimal results(Em)

Bioresource engineering (be): creates works that manages natural resources for sustained ESSs

Bioresource engineering control (BEC): interventions to manage natural resources incl. energy therein

CFU (colony forming units): counted under microscope p 100ml; function of initial /zero coliform presence(Me)

Complexity: Epistemic uncertainty: “lack of data, unreliability of data, lack of theoretical understanding, or general ignorance” (Ri:63) 

Co-metabolism: complexing typ. with non-organic compounds to render non-toxic e.g. of heavy metals* (*esp. cadmium, lead, copper, zinc(Fa))

Constructed wetland (CW): a BEC, like a road-side biofilter, in /at stream, but also for large flow control

DEWATS: “improved septic tank”(Ja) uses AD of sludge & CWs for effluent tmt.; typ. a local scale WWT

Disinfection: typ. chlorine oxidation of organics to get rid of pathogens in tertiary tmt. or in PW production

eColi / Escheria: mostly harmless & dominant coliform pathogen indicator; colonies lab grown for counting(Me)

Eco-system services (ESSs): as derived from SESs(Hu) e.g. flood attenuation by wetland reeds (e.g. in IUWM)

Effluent: liquid product of treated influent typically referred to after secondary or tertiary treatment

Emerging pollutants especially OMPs typ. endocrine disruptors, pharmaceuticals, personal care products(Ji)

End-of-pipe UWM: typical one-way use of SW /PW i.e. treated / released downstream i.e. no recycling

FC (faecal coliform): subset of coliform bacteria used to indicate the presence of faeces / pathogens*(Me) (*microbes harmful to (but mostly dependent on) human host)

GHG or green house gas: typ. nitrous oxide, methane; latter relevant here as useful biogas from AD

Green infrastructure | GI: that which would produce urban resilience(As), i.e. the long term survival of living systems and eco-system services it produces

Greywater (GW): typ. HH type WW that does not contain human waste but can contain ‘harmful’ OMPs

IUWM: integration of SW, PW, WW & RW & key service interfaces e.g. SWM re biomimicry of WEN

LCA (lifecycle analysis): benefits i.r.o. overall OPEX & CAPEX* & relevant criteria e.g. energy /GHG outcome (*CAPEX = capital expenditure; OPEX = operational expenditure e.g. energy)

‘Linear’ UWM: single use of incoming water, piped or rain, non recovery thereof or its ‘constituents’

MCDA (multi-criteria decision analysis): of options with criteria & weights supplied by relevant stakeholders

Metabolic flows (urban): processes of /and resources & waste flow(Np); water & constituents in this context

Metabolism (biological): eating, breathing i.e. growing function of microbes (in this context)

Mineralise: degrading of organic compounds to H2O + CO2 (water and carbon dioxide); typ. slower in larger /commercial compounds

Natural organic material (NOM): relevent for now, the 'litter' from cells that have 'died', is usually the source of harmless smells, colour and taste in drinking water and often difficult to remove

Nutrient or food cycle: typically photosynthesis, plants eaten, all organisms die, decay, nutrients re-absorped

Nutrients: minerals required for cell growth; relevant here is carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P)

O&M: the daily Operations & regular Maintenance of works to ensure it achieves its intended output

Organic micro pollutants (OMPs); practically undetectable (in water) industrial compounds incl. PCPs

Potable (drinking) water: ‘fresh /natural /raw’ water drawn* & purified (to WHO standards in RSA)(WH) (*From e.g. stream or dam; WHO = World Health Organization)

Precautionary Principle (Rio 1992): ‘Act any way with care’ /no type II errors /not rejecting possible truths

Pre-treatment: first stage at WWTPs incl. balancing, grit removal; to ensure effective d/s processes

Primary treatment: typ. settling of easily settleable constituents; becomes primary sludge to be treated

Rainfall harvesting (RFH): retain typ. in urban areas rain to supplement on-site water needs

Residuals: sludge humus typ. solid by-product of treated influent (roughly: influent = effluent + sludge)

Resilience: capacity to adapt to change, including to changing equilibria, but maintain core functionality

Secondary tmt.: of ‘primary’ effluent typ. by biological means e.g. trickling filter & AS; makes ‘humus’* (*may still have pathogens)

Social ecological system (SES): where humans and nature interact shaping it and culture(Hu) as in UWM

Soil treatment: like bank tmt; filter effect, biological tmt & storage; local biomes development w benefits

Stormwater (SW): (re ‘linear’ UWM) transport of ‘nuisance’ rain runoff to the urban edge quickly(Cs)

Stream augmentation: the return of effluent and / or runoff u/s that could improve base and river flow

TBL: sustainability assessment of corporate performance re ecological, social & economic aims

Tertiary treatment: of secondary treatment effluent to typically RWQ standard e.g. zero faecal pathogens(Ki)

Thermophilic composting: of sludge and bulk material in this context typ. in windrows at 50 – 70 °C(Me)

Treatment train (TT): WWT term denoting a set of ‘unit’ processes to achieve a treatment objective(Me)

Treatment Wetland (TW): typ. a CW to obtain typ. WWT aims. i.e. primary, secondary & tertiary treatment(Fp)

Type of constituents: micro/macro, organic /inorganic, state e.g. temp., pH; (micro* or trace amounts(Me)) (*1 microgram per litre = 1 µg/l = 1×10-6 grams p litre (1mg/l = (milli) = 10-3 g p litre)(Wi))

UWM: umbrella term for SW, PW, WW mgnt.; ‘exists’ due to criticism of the silo management thereof* (*WS: water services in RSA is PW & Sanitation (incl. health /hygiene educ.) services(Cs))

Urban: in this study any settlement but the current context is rapid and increasing urbanization

Vulnerability: opposite to Resilience i.e. not able(Va) to adapt well to sudden /systemic change e.g. to CC

Wastewater: typically from households and industry arrives as influent at WWTPs for treatment

(Water) constituents: dissolved, floating or suspended including state of the water e.g. energy levels*, pH (*e.g. kinetic or potential energy; pH = level of H ions)

Water /energy* (W/E) nexus (WEN): in- /decrease in one induces reaction in other, thus ‘spiral’ effect (Will assume ‘water’ includes the nexus with food though the nutrients in WW)

WWT: a TT or chain of physical, microbial and chemical processes to achieve a treatment outcome

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