Glossary

A rapid increase in algae population in a water body, driven by nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), light, and temperature. Floating covers prevent blooms by blocking light.

A closed vessel or covered lagoon where microorganisms break down organic matter without oxygen, producing biogas (methane + CO₂). Mesophilic operating temperature typically ~35°C.

A spherical HDPE floating cover element, self-ballasting via partial water fill, used on small or irregular water bodies. Typical coverage ratio: 70–80%.

A community of microorganisms adhered to a surface within an aquatic system, typically encased in a self-produced extracellular polymeric matrix.

A measure of the oxygen consumed by microbial decomposition of organic matter in water over a defined period (typically 5 days, BOD5). A primary wastewater compliance parameter.

An industrial pond holding concentrated saltwater, typically from desalination reject, lithium extraction, or industrial process water.

A measure of the total oxygen demand of water under chemical oxidation, including non-biodegradable organics. Used as a fast, automatable wastewater quality proxy.

A single-piece sealed floating cover, typically geomembrane, with 100% surface coverage. Used where complete gas capture or environmental containment is required.

The percentage of a water body's surface area physically covered by a floating cover. The dominant driver of evaporation and algae suppression effectiveness.

EU Directive 2022/2464 requiring large companies to report on sustainability metrics including water use, emissions, and resource consumption.

US Department of Energy recognition for the heat-retention contribution of the patented hexagonal floating cover, validating its energy-efficiency case on hot wells and digesters.

UK Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) approval requirement for non-metallic materials in contact with drinking water under the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations.

Framework for non-financial corporate performance metrics covering environmental impact, social responsibility, and corporate governance.

EU Directive 2020/2184 establishing water-quality standards for potable supply across the EU. Includes requirements for materials in contact with drinking water.

EU Directive 2010/75/EU regulating emissions from industrial installations including refineries, wastewater plants, food processing, and biogas operations.

EU Directive 91/271/EEC (and the 2024 recast) establishing treatment standards for urban wastewater discharge to surface waters.

EU Directive 2000/60/EC establishing the framework for community action in the field of water policy. Sets targets for ecological status of surface and groundwater.

Active reduction of open-water surface evaporation, typically achieved via floating covers, shade structures, or chemical surfactant monolayers.

Combined evaporation from water and soil surfaces plus transpiration from plant material. Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) values are used for water management planning.

A buoyant surface barrier deployed on the surface of a water body — modular hexagonal, continuous geomembrane, or spherical (armor ball) — to reduce evaporation, algae, odor, and heat loss.

An engineered impermeable polymer liner (typically HDPE, LLDPE, or PVC) used in environmental containment, pond lining, and continuous floating cover applications.

Release of hydrogen sulfide from wastewater, anaerobic digesters, produced water, and sulfide-bearing chemistries. A major source of odor complaints and worker safety risk.

An engineering thermoplastic widely used in industrial water infrastructure for UV resistance, chemical compatibility, freeze-thaw tolerance, and NSF-61 potable water certification.

A modular self-ballasting hexagonal floating cover element, typically HDPE, tessellated across a water surface to reduce evaporation, algae, odor, and heat loss without anchors.

Wind-load certification of floating cover elements. AWTT publishes 130+ MPH (209+ km/h) wind resistance and a 260%+ self-loading factor for the Hexprotect® AQUA hexagonal element.

An open protocol that allows websites to instantly notify search engines and AI crawlers (Bing, Yandex, others) when content is published or updated.

A structured analysis of environmental impacts associated with a product or system across its full lifecycle: raw materials, manufacturing, use phase, and end-of-life.

Anaerobic digestion operating at approximately 35°C, the most common temperature regime for agricultural and municipal biogas operations. Floating covers retain process heat.

Active recovery of methane gas from anaerobic digesters, lagoons, or landfill, typically requiring continuous (geomembrane) covers and gas-handling infrastructure.

A floating cover system composed of independent floating elements (hexagonal, spherical, or other geometries) that tessellate across the water surface.

NSF/ANSI 61 is the standard for chemical safety of products in contact with drinking water. Required certification for materials used on potable water reservoirs in the EU and US.

Direct measurement of evaporation from a standardised water pan (US Class A pan or European equivalents). Higher than reference evapotranspiration (ET0) by 1.0–1.4×.

Suppression of algae photosynthesis by blocking light from reaching the water column — the mechanism behind cover-based algae prevention.

A floating cover deployed on a pond — typically an industrial reservoir, lagoon, tailings pond, or wastewater pond. Used interchangeably with 'floating cover' in industry usage.

An artificial or natural water body used to store water for municipal supply, irrigation, industrial cooling, process water, or flood-management purposes.

A floating cover design that maintains stability and resists wind drift without external anchors, using element geometry or partial water fill alone.

A permeable woven fabric (HDPE or polypropylene) suspended above water on an anchor frame. Blocks 50–95% of sunlight, suppressing algae, but is vapour-permeable.

Mining residue (rock, mineral particles, and process water) stored in engineered impoundments. Tailings ponds are a major context for evaporation and dust control.

A carbon-containing compound with high vapour pressure at ambient temperature. VOCs at the water-air interface drive air-quality compliance and odor.

A measure of demand on available water resources relative to supply. Determines the economic case for evaporation suppression and reservoir capacity retention.

The boundary between liquid water and atmospheric air, where evaporation, gas exchange, heat loss, and odor release occur. Floating covers remove this interface.