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Resources & Definitions 
STORMWATER TERMINOLOGYTo fully understand the watershed concept and the principals behind Stormwater management, there is some terminology you should be familiar with:
- Black Water/Sewer Water: waste water from toilets or urinals.
- Downspout: a pipe that carries rainwater from a roof to a drain or to the ground
- Graywater: water from bathroom sinks, bath tub shower drains, and clothes washing equipment drains.
- Gutter: a shallow trough at the perimeter of a structure that collects rainwater
- Hardscape: a built structures or surfaces made with hard materials covering the natural surface (concrete, pavers, asphalt, brick, walls, wood decks, )
- Impervious Surface: a surface that does not allow water to percolate through; eliminating rainwater infiltration and natural groundwater recharge.
- Pervious Surface/Porous Surface: a surface that allows water to percolate through
- Potable Water: drinking water safe to be consumed by humans (Clean water act 1972 EPA).
- Recycled Water: reusing treated wastewater for agriculture and landscape irrigation, industrial processes, toilet flushing, and ground water replenishing.
- Roof Area: area of roof of a structure
- Runoff: water that flows over the surface of the lands when rainfall is not able to infiltrate into the soil
- Stormwater: generated when precipitation from rain events flow over land or impervious surfaces and does not percolate into the ground.
- Storm Drain/Storm Sewer: collects excess water from the surface and drains it to underground collection pipes
- Storm Drain Outfall: discharge point of the storm drain system
