Water Glossary: E

ecosystem	An interacting network of groups of organisms together with their nonliving or physical environment.
effluent	Water flowing from a structure such as a treatment plant. Contrast with influent.*
endangered species	A species of animal or plant threatened with extinction.
environmental impact report (EIR)	Environmental Impact Report; a state-mandated written summary of the positive and negative effects on the environment caused by the construction and operation of a project.
erosion	The processes of picking up, moving, shaping, and depositing sediments by various agents; erosional agents include streams, glaciers, wind, and gravity.
escherichia coli (e. coli)	A gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, nonspore-forming bacillus commonly found in the intestinal tracts of humans and other warm-blooded animals. In sanitary bacteriology, Escherichia coli is considered the primary indicator of recent fecal pollution.*
eutriphocation	A naturally occurring change that takes place after a water body receives inputs of nutrients, mostly nitrates and phosphates, from erosion and runoff of surrounding lands. This process can be accelerated by human activities.
evaporation	Water changing into vapor and rising into the air.
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