Glossary
Plain-language terms
Short definitions for boards, staff, and civic readers. Modest and general — local law and engineering practice may use stricter meanings.
- Non-revenue water (NRW)
- Water that is produced (or purchased) but not billed — including real losses (leaks), apparent losses (metering/billing gaps), and authorized unbilled use. Often discussed as a share of system input.
- Ring-fenced budget
- A rule or practice that keeps specified water revenues (or funds) for water services rather than general municipal spending. The strength of the fence depends on local law and enforcement.
- Tariff
- The price structure customers pay for water service — for example fixed charges plus volumetric rates, sometimes with lifeline or social blocks.
- Deferred maintenance
- Repair and renewal work that is needed but postponed. The cumulative cost is often called a backlog.
- Capital plan
- A multi-year list of major investments (mains, plants, meters, storage) with indicative costs and timing — distinct from the annual operating budget.
- Operating budget
- Day-to-day spending: staff, energy, chemicals, routine maintenance, debt service, and similar recurring costs.
- Oversight body
- A board, commission, regulator, or audit function that reviews performance and decisions, separate from day-to-day utility management.
- Stakeholder
- Anyone with an interest in outcomes (staff, customers, contractors, neighboring jurisdictions). Broader than rights-holders.
- Rights-holder
- A person or group with recognized legal or human rights related to water or service (for example under national law or human-rights frameworks). Not every stakeholder is a rights-holder.
- Service continuity
- Whether water is available as expected — measured by outages, pressure failures, or hours of supply, depending on the system.
- Lifeline (or social) rate
- A lower tariff block intended to keep a basic volume of water affordable for households, often paired with rules on eligibility.
- Cost recovery
- The extent to which tariffs and other revenues cover operating costs and, in stronger cases, capital renewal — without implying a single correct level.
- Commercial loss
- NRW linked to metering, billing, data, or unauthorized use — as opposed to physical leakage in the network.
- Public minutes / decision record
- The written trail of what an oversight body decided, when, and on what basis — essential for later review and public trust.