Definitions - Water Information Terms
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Australian water access entitlement means a perpetual or ongoing entitlement, by or under a law of a State, to exclusive access to a share of the water resources of a water resource plan area or other water management area.
Australian water allocation means the specific volume of water allocated to an Australian water access entitlement in a given water accounting period.
Dewpoint temperature means the temperature to which air must be cooled, at constant pressure and constant moisture content, to reach saturation.
Downward longwave exposure means the total amount of terrestrial electromagnetic energy that falls on a specified unit horizontal surface.
Downward longwave irradiance means the longwave irradiance emitted from the sky that falls on a specified unit horizontal surface.
Dry bulb air temperature means the temperature of air measured by a thermometer freely exposed to the air but shielded from radiation and moisture.
Electrical conductivity, in relation to water, means the capacity of the water to transmit a flow of electricity, and is a common measure of the salinity of the water.
Exposure means the measure of the energy received per unit area.
Global solar exposure means the total amount of electromagnetic energy emitted from the sun that falls on a specified unit horizontal surface.
Global solar irradiance means the irradiance emitted from the sun that falls on a specified unit horizontal surface.
Irradiance means the measure of the rate of electromagnetic energy received per unit area.
Major storage means any water storage that has a storage capacity of 1GL or more.
Minor storage means any water storage in which water is stored for taking and that meets the following criteria:
(a) it is not a major storage;
(b) it has a storage capacity of 100 ML or more;
(c) it is not used primarily for the precipitation of ash;
(d) it is not a mine tailings dam;
(e) it is not managed by an urban infrastructure operator primarily for the purposes of flood management or pollution abatement.
Net exposure means the net global solar exposure plus the net longwave exposure.
Net global solar exposure means the global solar exposure less the reflected global solar exposure.
Net global solar irradiance means the global solar irradiance less the reflected global solar irradiance.
Net irradiance means the net global solar irradiance plus the net longwave irradiance.
Net longwave exposure means the downward longwave exposure less the upward longwave exposure.
Net longwave irradiance means the downward longwave irradiance less the upward longwave exposure.
Reflected global solar exposure means the total amount of electromagnetic energy emitted from the sun that is reflected from the ground and irradiates a specified unit horizontal surface from underneath.
Reflected global solar irradiance means the irradiance emitted from the sun that is reflected from the ground and irradiates a specified unit horizontal surface from underneath.
State aquifer framework information means any water information in the aquifer framework used by a State.
State NGIS information means any water information in a State's National Groundwater Information System (NGIS) database.
Tidal limit, in relation to a watercourse, means the maximum upstream location on that watercourse at which a tidal variation in water level is observed.
Total nitrogen concentration, in relation to a water sample, means the total concentration of all forms of nitrogen found in the water sample, including nitrate, nitrite, ammonia-N and organic forms of nitrogen.
Total phosphorus concentration, in relation to a water sample, means the total concentration of all forms of phosphorus found in the water sample.
Total suspended solids, in relation to a water sample, means the measure of the particles mixed in the water sample.
Turbidity, means the measure of the light scattering properties of water, and is an indicator of the presence of suspended solids.
Upward longwave exposure means the total amount of terrestrial electromagnetic energy emitted from the Earth's surface that irradiates a specified unit horizontal surface from underneath.
Upward longwave irradiance means the longwave irradiance emitted by the Earth's surface that irradiates a specified unit horizontal surface from underneath.
Urban recycled water information means information about the treatment and reuse of urban wastewater.
Urban stormwater information means information about water in the urban stormwater drainage system.
Urban wastewater information means information about wastewater that is disposed of through a sewerage system.
Urban water supply information means information about water supplied by urban water utilities.
Vapour pressure deficit means the difference between the amount of moisture in the air and how much moisture the air can hold when it is saturated.
Water-equivalent precipitation means the depth of water that would result if solid precipitation were melted.
Water management area means an area (however described) used by an agency of the Commonwealth or an agency of a State for the purposes of managing surface water or ground water.
Note: The following are examples of water management areas:
(a) river basins;
(b) catchments;
(c) aquifers;
(d) water sources;
(e) sustainable diversion limit resource units.
Water storage means a body of water that is naturally occurring, is impounded by a constructed barrier or is within an excavation, and includes ponds, swamps, lakes, wetlands, weirs, dams, basins, reservoirs and open pits.
Wet bulb air temperature means the temperature of air measured by a thermometer that has its bulb wrapped in wet muslin.
Wind run means the product of the average wind speed and the period over which that average speed was measured.
