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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Section D:

desalinization--the removal of salts from saline water to provide freshwater. This method is becoming a more popular way of providing freshwater to populations.

discharge--the volume of water that passes a given location within a given period of time. Usually expressed in cubic feet per second.

domestic water use--water used for household purposes, such as drinking, food preparation, bathing, washing clothes, dishes, and dogs, flushing toilets, and watering lawns and gardens. About 85% of domestic water is delivered to homes by a public-supply facility, such as a county water department. About 15% of the Nation's population supply their own water, mainly from wells.

drainage basin--land area where precipitation runs off into streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. It is a land feature that can be identified by tracing a line along the highest elevations between two areas on a map, often a ridge. Large drainage basins, like the area that drains into the Mississippi River contain thousands of smaller drainage basins. Also called a "watershed."

drip irrigation--a common irrigation method where pipes or tubes filled with water slowly drip onto crops. Drip irrigation is a low-pressure method of irrigation and less water is lost to evaporation than high-pressure spray irrigation.

drawdown--a lowering of the ground-water surface caused by pumping.