catchments

Noun

catchment (plural catchments)

1. (attributive, often) Any structure or land feature which catches and holds water; the collection of such water.
   • Do you think that there ought to be some board or some authority for each catchment basin, which must be appointed with adequate powers to prevent the pollution of streams?1864 June 9, “[Minutes of Evidence.] Samuel H. Gael, Esq., Called in; and Examined”, in Report from the Select Committee on Sewage (Metropolis); together with the Proceedings of the Committee...
2. A catchment area, or the people it serves.
   • The Hospital Plan first set out the objective: a network of large district general hospitals, each providing specialised medical and surgical facilities for a catchment of 200,000 to 300,000 population[…].2003, Robin Haynes, “Geographical Access to Health Care”, in Martin Gulliford, Myfanwy Morgan, editors, Access to Health Care, London; New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 17

See all 3 meanings of catchment