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Glite Dictionary
waterworks

waterworks

1 3.5
A place or system that collects, cleans, and supplies water to people
  • noun
  • /ˈwɔːtərˌwɜrks/
translation icon : sistema de agua
  • Russell noted that one particular spring that emptied into the South River reservoir, Todd Branch, "had 774 homes along its watershed and received all their washings and drainage." In 1891, the Committee on Waterworks explained the problems associated with the South River feeder streams.

Examples

  • The Guam Waterworks Authority provides clean drinking water to thousands of residents every day.

  • The Philadelphia waterworks system underwent major upgrades to improve water quality and supply.

  • On the left, signs pointed to parking for beaches: Shell Beach, the Stone Jetty, Waterworks.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • In a 1907 article entitled "How Atlanta Secured Her Waterworks"

    Academic text (2010)

  • The system, UV Waterworks, will be available through WaterHealth International, Inc., of Napa, California.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The Guam Legislature responded to the weather crises by granting the governor emergency powers, and the Guam Waterworks Authority went into high gear.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Some 34,000 customers of the Guam Waterworks Authority (GWA) consume an average of 35 million gallons of fresh water every day.

    Academic text (1998)

  • In the 1820s and thirties, the East London Waterworks Company boasted that it would soon be providing water as "cheap as beer"; but beyond mere boasting and self-aggrandizement, the overall reduction in water costs was still minimal by mid-century.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The new waterworks facility will help ensure a reliable water source for the growing population in the area.

Synonyms

water supply
vswaterworks
43 1.6

A system that gives water to homes and buildings for drinking and washing

is about the physical place that treats and distributes water for local use
water system
vswaterworks
11 2.3

A set of pipes and buildings that collect, clean, and send water to homes

is the specific facility that collects, treats, and supplies water to a community
water company
vswaterworks
3 1.9

A company that provides water to homes and businesses in an area

is the facility or system that collects, treats, and sends water to the community

How Big

waterworks
1 3.5
hot water plant
  • Specialized
3.7

Surface Forms

waterworks singular
waterworks plural

Morphology

waterworks = water + works (semi-transparent) = water + works

The components 'water' and 'works' are form- and meaning-related, but 'works' meaning 'facility/system' is a specialized, idiomatic use that may not be obvious to all learners.

Etymology

The word waterworks combines water and works, where works means 'a place that works on or makes something', as in ironworks. So waterworks is the place or system that treats and supplies clean water to a town or community.