water supply

American  

noun

water supplies plural

1. the supply of purified water available to a community.

2. the facilities for storing and supplying this water, as reservoirs and pipelines.

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water supply British  

noun

1. an arrangement of reservoirs, purification plant, distribution pipes, etc, for providing water to a community

2. the supply of treated and purified water for a community

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• water-supply
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• water supplies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of water supply

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

water supply

"They supply much of the state's water supply, but as they become stronger, they're likely to also bring widespread destruction."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

Both terminals at Gatwick Airport are being affected by a water supply issue, with toilets reported to be out of order and restaurants closed.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

This makes escalation more likely, Sheline said, which could result in attacks on infrastructure like desalination plants, which serve as a necessary water supply for parts of Iran, as well as the Gulf countries.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

In Astana, schools are overloaded, and heating and water supply systems are struggling to cope, he said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

The water supply had almost completely disappeared; what was left was covered with dust and dirt.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat

Related Words

• water system
• waterworks