427rapid movement of groundwater through the interconnected open spaces created by the initial
chemical dissolving process.
DISSOLUTION or SOLVATION: The spread of ions in a monosacharide.
DISSOLVED OXYGEN: Can be added to zones within a lake or reservoir that would normally
become anaerobic during periods of thermal stratification.
DISTILLATION, REVERSE OSMOSIS AND FREEZING: Processes that can be used to remove
minerals from the water.
DOUBLE BOND: Sharing of two pairs of electradodes.
DRY ACID: A granular chemical used to lower pH and or total alkalinity.
E
E. COLI, Escherichia coli: A bacterium commonly found in the human intestine. For water quality
analyses purposes, it is considered an indicator organism. These are considered evidence of
water contamination. Indicator organisms may be accompanied by pathogens, but do not
necessarily cause disease themselves.
EARTH METAL: See alkaline earth metal.
EFFECTIVENESS OF CHLORINE: The factors which influence the effectiveness of chlorination
the most are pH, turbidity and temperature. Effectiveness of Chlorine decreases occurs during
disinfection in source water with excessive turbidity.
ELECTRIC CHARGE: A measured property (coulombs) that determine electromagnetic
interaction
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL: Using a chemical reaction's current, electromotive force is made
ELECTROLYTE: A solution that conducts a certain amount of current and can be split
categorically as weak and strong electrolytes.
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION: A type of wave that can go through vacuums as well as
material and classified as a self-propagating wave.
ELECTROMAGNETISM: Fields that have electric charge and electric properties that change the
way that particles move and interact.
ELECTROMOTIVE FORCE: A device that gains energy as electric charges pass through it.
ELECTRON: A subatomic particle with a net charge that is negative.
ELECTRON SHELLS: An orbital around the atom's nucleus that has a fixed number electrons
(usually two or eight).
ELECTRON: The name of a negatively charged atomic particle.
ELEMENT: An atom that is defined by its atomic number.
ELEMENTARY BUSINESS PLAN: Technical Capacity, Managerial Capacity, and Financial
Capacity make up the elementary business plan. To become a new public water system, an
owner shall file an elementary business plan for review and approval by state environmental
agency.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM: A local team that is thoroughly trained and equipped to deal
with emergencies, e.g. chlorine gas leak. In case of a chlorine gas leak, get out of the area and
notify your local emergency response team in case of a large uncontrolled chlorine leak.
EMPOROCAL FORMULA: Also called the simplest formula, gives the simplest whole :number
ratio of atoms of each element present in a compound.
ENERGY: A system's ability to do work.
ENHANCED COAGULATION: The process of joining together particles in water to help remove
organic matter.
ENTAMOEBA HISTOLYTICA: Entamoeba histolytica, another water-borne pathogen, can cause
diarrhea or a more serious invasive liver abscess. When in contact with human cells, these
amoebae are cytotoxic. There is a rapid influx of calcium into the contacted cell, it quickly stops
all membrane movement save for some surface blebbing. Internal organization is disrupted,
organelles lyse, and the cell dies. The ameba may eat the dead cell or just absorb nutrients
released from the cell.
ENTEROVIRUS: A virus whose presence may indicate contaminated water; a virus that may
infect the gastrointestinal tract of humans.
ENTHALPY: Measure of the total energy of a thermodynamic system (usually symbolized as H).