We all know water is essential to life. But we don’t all speak the same language when it comes to protecting it.
This glossary breaks down key technical terms you might come across in water sustainability and management. It’s designed to help you navigate water challenges with clarity, so you can take confident, informed action when you join the UK Food and Drink Pact’s Water Roadmap.
| Abstraction | Taking water from natural sources like rivers, lakes, or underground reserves for use in agriculture, industry, or drinking water. Done too much, it can leave ecosystems struggling. |
| Collective action projects | Businesses, NGOs and governments working together in specific areas or regions to tackle water challenges head-on. These projects aim to ensure long-term benefits for the environment and local communities. |
| Diffuse pollution | Pollution that runs into rivers and lakes from multiple, widespread sources rather than a single point, such as pesticides, fertilisers, or manure washing into rivers from farmland. |
| Groundwater | Underground stores of water held in soil or rock. Groundwater is a natural source for rivers, wetlands and drinking supplies, playing an important role in the health of whole ecosystems. |
| Holistic on-farm water management | A comprehensive, whole-farm approach to managing water wisely by preventing pollution, improving soil health, and making every drop count. |
| Nature-based solutions | Using nature to tackle challenges, such as restoring wetlands to filter pollutants, planting trees to reduce runoff, or improving soil health to store water. These solutions usually help the environment in more ways than one, such as reducing harmful carbon emissions or reducing pollution. |
| Point source pollution | Pollution that comes from a single, identifiable source, like a factory discharge pipe or a wastewater treatment plant. |
| Slurry | A liquid mix of manure and water used as fertiliser on farms. Great for crops, but if not managed properly, it can pollute waterways and harm aquatic life. |
| Surface water body | Any above-ground water source. The visible parts of our water system, like a river, lake or reservoir. |
| Wastewater | Water that has been used and is no longer clean. It includes everything from household sewage and kitchen water to runoff from farms and industrial processes. With the right treatment, it can be cleaned and reused. |
| Water availability | The total amount of water accessible for use in an area, whether by people, industry and/or ecosystems, considering the balance of natural supply and human demand. |
| Water catchments | An area of land where rainfall and water collect and drain into a river, lake, groundwater or reservoir. They’re an important source of water for communities, ecosystems and agriculture. |
| Water efficiency | Getting the most out of every drop whether in factories, farms or homes. Using water in a smarter way that reduces waste, often through better technology, processes and behaviour change. |
| Water management | The planning, control and monitoring of water to ensure it’s used, stored and shared sustainably. Good water management prevents wastage, pollution and shortages. |
| Water resilience | The ability of a water system to withstand and recover from shocks or stress, such as droughts, floods, or contamination. The systems could be a business, supply chain or regional network. |
| Water reuse | The process of treating and reusing wastewater for another purpose, like to irrigate crops or for drinking water. Water reuse takes pressure off natural sources and plays a key role in building water resilience. |
| Water scarcity | When the demand for freshwater exceeds supply in a region or area and leads to shortages. This can be driven by climate change, overuse or poor water management. |
| Water security | Ensuring there’s enough clean, safe water for people, businesses, and nature – protecting it now for the future before crisis hits. |
| Water stewardship | Taking responsibility for water use in and beyond your own operations, ensuring it is managed responsibly to minimise pollution and ensure good supply for people, nature and industry. |
| Water stress | A measure of how much water is being used compared to what’s available. High water stress means there isn’t enough water to meet demand for communities or food production. Environmental changes and the climate crisis are making water stress worse. |