Definition

1. Noun:
   • A facility that provides a source of water: A network of structures, pipes, and equipment designed to collect, treat, store, and distribute water for public use, such as drinking, sanitation, and firefighting.
   • A river and all of its tributaries: The entire interconnected network of a main river and the smaller streams that flow into it, considered as a single hydrological unit.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Facility):
  • The city is investing millions to upgrade its aging water system.
  • A reliable water system is essential for public health.
• Noun (River Network):
  • The Mississippi River water system drains a vast area of the United States.
  • Scientists studied the entire Amazon water system.

Advanced Usage

• "municipal water system": A public water supply facility operated by a city or town.
  • The municipal water system draws its water from a protected reservoir.
• "to be on a public/private water system": To receive water from a communal network or a privately owned well.
  • Houses in the rural area are not on the public water system.

Variants and Related Words

• Waterworks (n): Often used synonymously with the facility meaning of a water system, especially the treatment and pumping plants.
  • The old waterworks have been turned into a museum.
• Water supply (n): The source or provision of water, often used interchangeably with the facility meaning.
  • The drought threatened the region's water supply.

Synonyms

• Water supply network: A system for distributing water.
• Aqueduct: A structure for conveying water, often part of a larger system.
• Drainage basin / watershed: A related concept for the geographical area drained by a river system.

Related Phrases

• Water distribution system: The specific part of a water system comprising pipes, pumps, and valves that delivers water to consumers.
  • A leak in the water distribution system caused low pressure.
• Water treatment plant: A key facility within a water system that purifies water.
  • The water treatment plant ensures the water is safe to drink.

Notes on Meaning

The term "water system" has two distinct primary meanings. The first is an engineered, constructed facility for human use. The second is a natural geographical feature. The intended meaning is usually clear from context: discussions of pipes, treatment, and cities refer to the facility, while discussions of geography, ecology, and rivers refer to the natural network.

Noun

1. a facility that provides a source of water
   • the town debated the purification of the water supply
   • first you have to cut off the water
2. a river and all of its tributaries