Sag A period of lower than normal voltage,
causing motor heating and disk drive problems.
Sales Tax A
tax levied by a state or city on the retail price of an item, collected by the
retailer. See also Use Tax
Sanitary Sewer A system of underground pipes that carries sanitary waste or
process wastewater to a treatment plant.
SAT The Scholastic Aptitude
Test is administered by the College Board, a national nonprofit
membership association. It is comprised
of the SAT Critical Reading Exam, the SAT Writing Exam and the SAT Math Exam
(which will contain concepts from
Geometry, Algebra I and Algebra II). http://www.collegeboard.com/
Scale The
chemical residue that is left behind when water is heated and evaporated.
Schedule
Considerations (Site) The amount of time that is
required to complete various tasks associated with acquisition, permitting and
development of the site.
Search Criteria Items considered
important, during project definition, which are used to screen sites. The search criteria can be either
exclusionary or inclusionary.
Exclusionary factors are those criteria that eliminate a site because
the site does not possess a given characteristic. Inclusionary factors are those criteria that a site must possess
in order to be considered for further consideration.
Secondary Containment Structures, usually dikes or berms, surrounding tanks or other
storage containers to catch spilled material.
Secondary
Education According
to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), which is
designed to facilitate comparisons among educational systems in different
countries, secondary education is comprised of lower and upper secondary
stages. The lower secondary educations begins
at about age 11 or 12 and continues for about 3 years. For the United States,
the lower stage of secondary school starts with 7th grade and typically ends
with 9th grade. Upper Secondary
education begins at about age 14 or 15 and lasts for approximately 3 years. For
the United States, this stage starts with 10th grade and ends with 12th
grade.
ISCED:
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2002/notes/n07.asp,
Information
about schools: http://nces.ed.gov/globallocator/
Secondary Treatment Second step in most waste treatment systems, in which bacteria
break down the organic parts of sewage wastes; usually accomplished by bringing
the sewage and bacteria together in trickling filters or in the activated
sludge process. Compare primary treatment, tertiary treatment.
Secondary
Voltage A site may be
served by a single substation that contains two transformers at different
voltages or via two entirely separate substations.
Section 404 of
the Clean Water Act
Section 404, jointly administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(Corps) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), regulates the
discharge of dredged or fill material into "waters of the United
States," which include wetlands. Section 404
Sediment Soil, sand, and materials washed from land into water, usually
after rain. Sediment can destroy fish-nesting areas, clog animal habitats, and
cloud water so that sunlight does not reach aquatic plants.
Sediment Trap A
device for removing sediment from water flows, usually installed at points of
outflow.
Sedimentation (Soil) The process of depositing soil, clay, sand, or other
sediments that were moved by the flow of water.
Sedimentation (Wastewater) The process
of removing particulate matter from water or wastewater. This is accomplished
in a quiet tank where gravity differences between the particles, or floc, and
the water allows settling.
Self-Healing
Fiber Ring
Redundancy in a communication system, surplus capability usually provided to
improve the reliability and quality of service.
Septic Tank Underground
receptacle for wastewater from a home and some commercial/industrial uses. The
bacteria in the sewage decompose the organic wastes, and the sludge settles to
the bottom of the tank. The effluent flows out of the tank into the ground
through drains.
Serial Line Internet Protocol See SL/IP and PPP
Server The main computer on a network, including local
area networks (LANs) and hosts on the Internet. So called because it
"serves" software or information to the "client" computers
on the network.
Service Drop The
overhead conductors between the electric supply, such as the last pole, and the
building or structure being served.
Service Entrance The equipment installed between the
utility's service drop, or lateral, and the customer's conductors. Typically
consists of the meter used for billing, switches and/or circuit breakers and/or
fuses, and a metal housing.
Sewage Treatment The process of purifying wastewater from rural, urban, and
industrial communities. Wastewater contains suspended or floating material,
dissolved material, odor, color, and microorganisms.
Ships
- Barge
Carriers: Ships designed to carry barges; some are fitted to act as full
containerships and can carry a varying number of barges and containers at the
same time. At present this class includes two types of vessels LASH and
Sea-Bee.
- Bulk
Carriers: All vessels designed to carry bulk cargo such as grain, fertilizers,
ore, and oil.
- Combination
Passenger and Cargo Ships: Ships with a capacity for 13 or more passengers.
- Freighters:
Breakbulk vessels both refrigerated and unrefridgerated, containerships,
partial containerships, roll-n/roll-off vessels, and barge carriers.
- Full
Containerships: Ships equipped with permanent container cells, with little or
no space for other types of cargo.
- General
Cargo Carriers: Breakbulk freighters, car carriers, cattle carriers, pallet
carriers and timber carriers.
- Partial
Containerships: Multipurpose containerships where one or more but not all
compartments are fitted with permanent container cells. Remaining compartments
are used for other types of cargo.
- Roll-on/Roll-off
vessels: Ships specially designed to carry wheeled containers or trailers using
interior ramps.
- Tankers:
Ships fitted with tanks to carry liquid cargo such as: crude petroleum and
petroleum products; chemicals, liquefied gasses (LNG and LPG), wine, molasses,
and similar product tankers.
Shortline
Railroad A railroad that originates
or terminates freight traffic on its tracks, participates in division of
revenues and is usually less than 100 miles in length.
Short Ton (ST) 2,000 pounds.
Site Readiness The extent to which a
given site is ready for construction activities to begin.
Site Selection The process of defining a
project need to expand, relocate or establish a new enterprise. The process involves screening for potential
candidate locations, comparatively assessing alternate locations, selecting
candidate sites and assessing the risks associated with each. Ultimately only one site is chosen; however,
it is not unusual to have more than one finalist candidate.
Site Suitability A measure of the site’s “fit for
purpose”. The ability of the site to
meet the project-specific requirements from an aesthetic, technical and
operational standpoint. It is possible
for the site to meet all site readiness requirements and still not be suitable.
SL/IP and PPP
Serial Line Internet Protocol or Point-to-Point Protocol. These protocols are
used to establish real "TCP/IP" Internet connections over dial-up
lines, as opposed to leased lines.
Slope See Percent
Slope
Sludge Remnants
of the digestion process that settle out on the bottom of settling tanks and
reaction vessels; must be removed periodically from treatment systems. Sludge
is a rich organic source of nutrients, composed of live and dead bacteria,
entrapped solids, and residual organic matter from the sewage. Sludge is often
used as soil conditioner in large wastewater operations, though the presence of
live bacterial colonies requires there be a minimum of several years waiting
time between sludge application and the growth of vegetable matter for human
consumption.
Small Municipal
Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) MS4 located
in an area serving a population less than 100,000, as determined by the latest
U.S. Census.
SNG Synthetic natural gas. Natural gas that is manufactured from coal or
naphtha.
Soft Water Water that contains low concentrations of hardness-causing
minerals, such as calcium and magnesium.
Soil Bearing Capacity The load per unit area which the ground can safely support
without excessive deformation. See Geotechnical and Engineering
Report
Soil Borings Samples (cores) taken at
various intervals to determine the subsurface conditions that exist. Excavation methodology, building design and
drainage requirements are impacted by the results of the investigations
Soil Survey
(1.) The systematic examination, description, classification, and
mapping of soils in an area. Soil surveys are classified according to the kind
and intensity of field examination. (2.) The program of the National
Cooperative Soil Survey that includes developing and implementing standards for
describing, classifying, mapping, writing, and publishing information about
soils of a specific area. State: http://www.pa.nrcs.usda.gov/soils/pasoils.htm, Federal:
http://soils.usda.gov/
Soil Types
Specialized
High Schools See Charter High Schools
Stack Car An articulated
five-platform rail car that allows containers to be double stacked. A typical
stack car holds ten 40-foot equivalent units (FEU's).
Stacktrain A rail service whereby
rail cars carry containers stacked two high on specially operated unit trains.
Each train includes up to 35 articulated multi-platform cars. Each car is
comprised of 5 well-type platforms upon which containers can be stacked. No
chassis accompany containers.
STB Surface
Transportation Board. The U.S. federal body
charged with enforcing acts of the U.S. Congress that affect common carriers in
interstate commerce. STB replaced the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) in 1997.
Stevedore Individual or firm that
employs longshoremen and who contracts to load or unload the ship.
Storage
Facilities
Infrastructure capable of providing a place for the reception, delivery, consolidation,
distribution, and storage of goods and cargo.
Storm Drain A
slotted opening leading to an underground pipe or an open ditch for carrying
surface runoff.
Storm Sewer Utility A means of establishing a dedicated and reliable source of
revenue based on user fees rather than taxes to help solve storm water
management problems. This steady revenue source ensures that funds will be
available to support a local storm water management program.
Storm Water Precipitation that accumulates in natural and/or constructed
storage and storm water systems during and immediately following a storm event.
Storm Water Facilities Systems such as watercourses, constructed channels, storm
drains, culverts, and detention/retention facilities that are used for the
conveyance and/or storage of storm water runoff.
Storm Water Management Functions associated with planning, designing, constructing,
maintaining, financing, and regulating the facilities (both constructed and
natural) that collect, store, control, and/or convey storm water.
Storm Water System The entire assemblage of storm water facilities located within a
watershed.
Stranded Costs This refers to a utility’s
fixed costs, usually related to investments in generation facilities, that
would no longer be paid by customers through their rates in the event that they
opt to purchase power from other suppliers.
Substation An assemblage of equipment for the purposes
of switching and/or changing or regulating the voltage of electricity. Service
equipment, line transformer installations, or minor distribution and
transmission equipment are not classified as substations. See also Switching Station
Sulphur Dioxide EPA uses six "criteria pollutants" as indicators of
air quality, and has established for each of them a maximum concentration above
which adverse. SO2 is also a primary
contributor to acid deposition, or acid rain, which causes acidification of
lakes and streams and can damage trees, crops, historic buildings and statues.
In addition, sulfur compounds in the air contribute to visibility impairment in
large parts of the country. See Attainment
Sump A pit or
tank that catches liquid runoff for drainage or disposal.
Surface Rights A right or easement granted with mineral rights, enabling the
possessor of the mineral rights to drill or mine through the surface.
Surface Transportation Board See STB
Surge A period of
higher than normal voltage, causing incandescent lights to burn out and other
problems.
Supply Chain A
logistical management system that integrates the sequence of activities from
delivery of raw materials to the manufacturer through to delivery of the
finished product to the customer into measurable components. "Just in
Time" is a typical value-added example of supply chain management.
Surcharge An
extra or additional charge.
Surface Water Water that remains on the surface of the ground, including
rivers, lakes, reservoirs, streams, wetlands, impoundments, seas, estuaries,
etc.
Surge Arrester A device that protects lines and equipment
against voltage surges caused by lightning or abnormal system conditions which
can damage cable or equipment insulation. The surge arrester is connected from
the line to the ground to provide a conducting path. This limits the voltage on
lines or equipment and dissipates excess energy harmlessly.
Surtax
An additional or extra tax.
Suspended Solids In water, these are the solids that settle slowly or not at all.
Swale A low
laying or depressed, at least seasonally wet stretch of land. Often lined with
grass (grassy swale) and used as a conveyance for storm water.
Switching Office (Central Office) In communications systems, a facility in which switches are used
to interconnect communications circuits on a circuit, message, or
packet-switching basis. Synonyms are: central office, switching exchange, and
switching facility.
Switching Station An assemblage of
equipment for the sole purpose of tying together two or more electric circuits
through switches or circuit breakers, selectively arranged to permit a circuit
to be disconnected in an emergency, or to change the electric connections
between the circuits. A type of Substation.
Switching Yard A system of tracks branching from a common track. Yards are used
for switching, making up trains and storing cars.
Synthetic
Natural Gas See SNG