Glossary

360 DEGREE FEEDBACK	Employee development feedback from subordinates, peers and managers, as well as a self-assessment and in some cases feedback from external sources
48/52 ANNUAL LEAVE	48/52 Annual Leave gives staff the opportunity to purchase up to four weeks additional leave on top of their existing four week annual leave entitlement
AA1000 ASSURANCE STANDARD	A world-wide standard for assessing, attesting to and strengthening the credibility and quality of an organisations sustainability reporting and their underlying processes, systems and competencies
AAA [WATER EFFICIENT] SHOWERHEAD	A showerhead designed to use nine litres of water per minute
ASSET (FINANCIAL)	Future economic benefits which are currently controlled by an entity as the result of a past transaction or other past event
BACKFLOW PREVENTION	To prevent an unintended flow of water from a potentially polluted source from within the property back into the water supply system
BENCHMARK	A standard by which something can be measured or judged.  To measure other products or services according to specified standards in order to compare it with and improve one's own
BEST PRACTICE	Successful standard operating procedures for a given business type
BIODIVERSITY	The variety of ecosystems and species of plants and animals found in the environment
BIOSOLIDS	Sewage sludge that is stabilised and suitable for beneficial reuse
BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN	A plan developed by an organisation to ensure it can continue to perform at least some of its normal business functions under a range of contingency situations
CCTV	Closed circuit television unit
CO2	Carbon dioxide gas
CANTEEN CATCH UPS	A bi-monthly company meeting where all staff attend to hear about new initiatives and programs that are occurring within City West Water and the water industry
CATCHMENTS	The area of land drained by a creek or river system, or a place set aside for collecting water which runs off the surface of the land. Catchments provide the source of water for the reservoirs that collect our drinking water
CLASS A RECYCLED WATER	A health based microbiological standard for high quality recycled water established by EPA Victoria and the Department of Human Services. Class A criteria do not include environmental quality parameters such as salinity or nutrient limits. Class A recycled water is currently not used for drinking purposes
CLEANER PRODUCTION PROGRAM	A City West Water program that works with industrial and commercial customers to reduce their water consumption and minimise the discharge of pollutants to sewer through resource efficiency
COMPRESSED WORKING OPTIONS	Allows full-time staff to compress their ordinary five day working hours (7.6 hours per day Monday to Friday) in the following ways: Four day week – total hours to be worked 38 per week Nine day fortnight – total hours to be worked 76 over two weeks Nineteen day four week period – total hours to be worked 152 over four weeks
CREDIT MANAGEMENT HARDSHIP POLICY	A policy to assist City West Water residential customers who are experiencing payment difficulties
DISCOLOURED WATER	Water that has a discoloured appearance eg, brown, yellow, cloudy, blue
DROUGHT	An extended period where water availability falls below the statistical requirements for a region
DOWNSTREAM IMPACTS	Effects occurring closer to the point of sale than to the point of production or manufacture
e. coli	escherichia coli
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM	The Employee Assistance Program is designed to provide employees and their families with professional psychological assistance for a range of issues that may be affecting work performance
FAMILY LEAVE	Family leave provides for employees who encounter a genuine need for leave to care for and support members of their immediate family who are ill
FAULT	A pipe or main that has been detected as not working efficiently within our water or sewerage system
GENTRACK	A customer information and billing system which contains customer information and billing data for City West Water
GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM	A computer application used to store, view and analyse geographical information, especially maps
GRAVITY SEWER	A sewerage system where flow is caused by the force of gravity
GLOBAL REPORTING INITIATIVE (GRI)	A world-wide framework for reporting on an organisation’s economic, environmental and social performance
GREASE TRAPS	A grille that traps fats, oil and grease in a drainage system, commonly used in commercial establishments to separate processing grease from wastewater
GREASY WASTE	A liquid waste that is generated by a commercial business from food preparation activities, and then discharged through the sewerage system
“GREEN COLLECT”	A socially focused company in Melbourne that delivers a range of recycling and waste minimisation services
“GREEN ENERGY”	A renewable and non-polluting source of energy such as solar power and wind power
“GREEN PLUMBER”	An innovative initiative developed by the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia. A series of workshops have been designed to enhance plumbers skills and knowledge about the environmental considerations of their work
“GREEN STREETS”	A Sustainable Management Program for small business in the commercial sector
GROUNDWATER	Water that exists beneath the earth's surface in underground streams and aquifers that supply wells and springs
GUARANTEED SERVICE LEVEL	A contract between the provider (City West Water) and the customer which specifies the level of service that is expected during its term
GREENHOUSE GASES	The group of gases that contribute to atmospheric warming and the greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), perfluorocarbons, and hydrofluorocarbons
GRI	see ‘Global Reporting Initiative’
HACCP	Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
HARDSHIP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM	see ‘Credit Management Hardship Policy’
HEAVY METALS	A metal with a specific gravity greater than about 5.0, especially one that is poisonous, such as lead or mercury
INTRANET	A privately maintained computer network, using the same technology as the internet, that can be accessed only by authorised persons, especially members or employees of the organisation that owns it
ISO 14001; 2004 STANDARD	The internationally recognized ISO 14001:2004 standard provides specifications for the implementation of an environmental management system to control and/or minimise the environmental impact of an organisation’s activities, products and services, as well as to monitor, manage and continuously improve an organisation’s environmental performance
INCIDENT AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLAN	Plans developed for the purpose of diminishing potentially serious outcomes in certain contingency situations. Examples might include fire and emergency evacuation procedures and flood protection
INFRASTRUCTURE	The stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of an organisation
INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE	A voice activated telephone system for customers to pay bills and receive other information, such as water restrictions information
INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY	Respecting the needs of current and future generations
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS	Financial and non-financial measures used to quantify objectives to reflect the strategic performance of an organisation
LPG	Liquefied petroleum gas
LIFECYCLE (COSTS)	The costs associated with operating and maintaining a facility or service throughout the course of its useful life
MAIN	A large pipe that carries either water or sewage through our system
ML	Megalitre (1,000,000 litres)
MONITORING SYSTEM	A system that provides information on the operation of City West Water’s water and sewerage systems
NEW CUSTOMER CONTRIBUTIONS	A charge for any new lot or connection that is separately titled or is (or can be) individually metered
NOx	Oxides of nitrogen.  These materials are common air pollutants and can be produced by burning fuels including gasoline and coal
PERMANENT WATER SAVING RULES	The Victorian Government’s five permanent rules for residential customers which represent a common-sense approach to long term water saving
PUMP(ING) STATION	A structure that houses the equipment used to lift water or sewerage in the system
RENEWABLE ENERGY	Energy obtained from sources that are essentially inexhaustible (unlike, for example, the fossil fuels, of which there is a finite supply)
RISING MAIN	A sewerage system where a pump lifts and pushes sewage along a system of sealed pipes
RISK MANAGEMENT	The process of measuring, or assessing risk and then developing strategies to manage the risk.  Strategies employed include avoiding the risk, reducing the negative effect of the risk, and accepting some or all of the consequences of a particular risk
SALT REDUCTION	Reducing the salt load in sewage
SERVICE AREA	The area in which City West Water is licensed to provide water and sewerage services
SEWAGE	The fluid waste from domestic, commercial and industrial sanitary appliances, which is discharged to the sewer
SEWER	A pipe which carries sewage to the treatment plant
SEWER ASSETS	A sewer asset is embodied in sewer pipes, pumping stations and treatment plants for the transfer and treatment of sewage.
SEWERAGE	The entire system of sewage collection, treatment, and disposal
SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAM	In approved circumstances, City West Water may organise and pay for a licensed plumber to rectify an internal plumbing problem for a customer who is experiencing financial difficulties or is socially disadvantaged
STAKEHOLDER	Any person or organisation with whom City West Water has a relationship or responsibility including customers, government  community and suppliers
STORMWATER DRAINS	Pipes, pits and water courses for example creeks, for the transfer of stormwater
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT	The process of controlling and managing all aspects of the supply of goods and services, from the raw materials stage to delivery of a finished product to the consumer
“SUSTAINABLE SUNSHINE”	see GREEN STREETS
SUSTAINABILITY	Living and working in ways that do not jeopardise current and future social, environmental and economic resources
SUSTAINABILITY COVENANT	A voluntary agreement between City West Water and EPA Victoria to work together to protect the environment and to contribute to a more sustainable Victoria
SUSTAINABILITY INDICATOR	One of a set of goals that indicate City West Water’s progress in the pursuit of sustainability
TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS	The amount of minerals in water that will not settle out but remain in the water indefinitely
TRADE WASTE	Any waste discharge other than domestic waste
TREATMENT	The process of improving the quality of water to enable its reuse or discharge to the sewerage system
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE	Accounting which involves expanding the traditional company reporting framework to take into account not just financial outcomes but also environmental and social performance
UPSTREAM IMPACTS	Effects occurring closer to the point of production or manufacture than to the point of sale
VACUUM SEWER	A sewerage system in which air is injected into a sealed pipe system and a vacuum is created to suck the sewage through the system
VICTORIAN WATER TRUST	A State Government initiative providing funding for investment into Victoria's water resources
VOLUMETRIC	Usage charges (as opposed to fixed charges) based on metered water consumption
WASTEWATER	The spent or used water from residential, business or industrial sources
WASTE WISE	An accredited office program that minimises City West Water’s resource use and minimises waste
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE	Pipes, fittings, storages and pumps for the distribution and supply of drinking water to customers
WATER RESTRICTIONS	Mandatory restrictions on the use of water, which are relative to water storage levels, as defined by the water industry’s Drought Response Plan
WATER QUALITY	The safety and aesthetic quality of drinking water for consumers. It should contain no harmful concentration of chemicals or micro-organisms and should be aesthetically pleasing in regard to appearance, taste and odour
WATER RECYCLING	The use of appropriately treated waste water, grey water, storm water, rain water and industrial water for a wide range of purposes such as irrigation, industrial processing and dual pipe schemes with due consideration to health and environmental risks
WEIGHTED AVERAGE INTEREST COST	A benchmark measure for the performance of a debt portfolio over a specified period of time. It measures the average interest cost when each debt is taken as a portion of total debt
WHITE WATER	Water with a milky or cloudy appearance due to the presence of tiny air bubbles in the water
WORK/LIFE BALANCE	Flexible, family friendly arrangements that help City West Water’s staff perform at their best, both at work and at home