Meet Water Quality Research Articles

Modeling Alternative Collaborative Governance Network Designs: An Agent-Based Model of Water Governance in the Lake Champlain Basin, Vermont

AbstractWith the widespread use of collaborative governance mechanisms for mitigating water pollution, an opportunity exists to test alternative institutional designs based on collaborative governance theory using computer simulation models, particularly when there is a clear relationship between governance networks, observable resource allocation decisions, and measurable outcomes. This is especially the case for wicked problems like nonpoint source water pollution where there are compelling questions regarding how best to design policies, allocate funds, and build administrative capacity to meet water quality standards. We present an agent-based model (ABM) of water governance for the Lake Champlain Basin to simulate the impacts of alternative collaborative governance arrangements on the development of suites of water quality projects. The ABM is connected or coupled with land use and phosphorus load accumulation models that are informed by existing hydrologic models, project datasets, and state-set load reduction targets. We find that regionally arranged collaborative governance in water quality project planning and implementation can lead to better water quality outcomes, thereby affirming one of the central premises of collaborative governance regime theory. We also find that externally mandated collaboration, as opposed to voluntary, self-initiated collaboration, can lead to better water quality outcomes, adding to our understanding of which type of collaborative governance arrangement is best suited to the specific contexts of this case. Further, without adequate administrative capacity in the form of human resources located in central network actors to manage project funds, “administrative bottlenecks” may form and money can go unspent. This research demonstrates the efficacy of using simulations of alternative institutional design for theory testing and tuning, and policy prototyping.

Delivering Drinking Water by Truck in Humanitarian Contexts: Results from Mixed-Methods Evaluations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Bangladesh.

Water trucking is a commonly implemented, but severely under-researched, drinking water supply intervention in humanitarian response. To fill this research gap, we conducted three mixed-methods water trucking program evaluations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Bangladesh, including interviews, water point observations, household surveys, focus groups, and water quality testing. Results indicated that the programs had complex implementation structures involving multiple agencies and limited infrastructure to properly collect, treat, and deliver water. All programs met queueing time and distance indicators, did not meet water quantity indicators, and inconsistently met water quality indicators. Free chlorine residual (FCR) declined through the water chain, and household water Escherichia coli concentrations were associated with household FCR, receiving behavior change messages, storage container type, and distance from the distribution point. Users appreciated water trucking, especially compared to previous water sources, and expressed desires for increased quantity, improved quality, and consistent delivery. If water trucking programs are implemented, it is recommended to have the financial resources to install sanitary collection and distribution infrastructure, establish a management team of all implementation partners, ensure sufficient water quantity is delivered, ensure recommended FCR levels at distribution points, monitor FCR throughout distribution, and complete behavior change communication activities about the program and safe water storage with users.

Modeling the Effects of Future Hydroclimatic Conditions on Microbial Water Quality and Management Practices in Two Agricultural Watersheds.

Anticipated future hydroclimatic changes are expected to alter the transport and survival of fecally-sourced waterborne pathogens, presenting an increased risk of recreational water quality impairments. Managing future risk requires an understanding of interactions between fecal sources, hydroclimatic conditions and best management practices (BMPs) at spatial scales relevant to decision makers. In this study we used the Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN to quantify potential fecal coliform (FC - an indicator of the potential presence of pathogens) responses to a range of mid-century climate scenarios and assess different BMP scenarios (based on reduction factors) for reducing the risk of water quality impairment in two, small agricultural watersheds - the Chippewa watershed in Minnesota, and the Tye watershed in Virginia. In each watershed, simulations show a wide range of FC responses, driven largely by variability in projected future precipitation. Wetter future conditions, which drive more transport from non-point sources (e.g. manure application, livestock grazing), show increases in FC loads. Loads typically decrease under drier futures; however, higher mean FC concentrations and more recreational water quality criteria exceedances occur, likely caused by reduced flow during low-flow periods. Median changes across the ensemble generally show increases in FC load. BMPs that focus on key fecal sources (e.g., runoff from pasture, livestock defecation in streams) within a watershed can mitigate the effects of hydroclimatic change on FC loads. However, more extensive BMP implementation or improved BMP efficiency (i.e., higher FC reductions) may be needed to fully offset increases in FC load and meet water quality goals, such as total maximum daily loads and recreational water quality standards. Strategies for managing climate risk should be flexible and to the extent possible include resilient BMPs that function as designed under a range of future conditions.

Improvements to the Water Quality of the Acidic Berkeley Pit Lake due to Copper Recovery and Sludge Disposal

The chemistry and limnology of the Berkeley Pit lake, located in Butte, Montana, have substantially changed during the past 15 years. These changes are due to: (1) a large-scale Cu recovery project in which deep water was pumped to a Cu precipitation plant and returned to the surface of the lake; and (2) in-pit disposal of lime-treatment sludge. As a consequence, the lake has shifted from a meromictic to a holomictic state, over 99% of the dissolved Fe has precipitated as schwertmannite and other ferric solids, the total acidity of the water column has dropped by roughly 35%, and the pH has risen from about 2.5 to near 4.1. Whereas most of the lake was anoxic prior to 2013, the water column now contains > 6 mg/L dissolved oxygen from the lake surface to the deepest levels sampled (> 150 m). Concentrations of several other solutes, including As, P, Cr, and V, have fallen sharply due to adsorption or co-precipitation with Fe, while other species, such as Al, Mg, and Mn, have increased due to dissolution of solids in the sludge. Although the Cu recovery circuit was discontinued in 2013, in-pit disposal of sludge is expected to continue. The pit water is now close to saturation with basaluminite, and the pH should remain poised in the range of 4.1–4.5 for many years as Al precipitates out of the water column. Pumping and treating of pit water is set to commence in 2019, and will continue for the foreseeable future. Continued in-pit disposal of sludge should translate into long term water-quality improvement and a decrease in annual lime-consumption costs. Although the Berkeley Pit still has a long ways to go before it will meet water quality standards, it is heartening to mine-water specialists that the pit lake may not be a problem that is “too big to fix”.

A Heuristic Method for Determining Changes of Source Loads to Comply with Water Quality Limits in Catchments.

A common land and water management task is to determine where and by how much source loadings need to change to meet water quality limits in receiving environments. This paper addresses the problem of quantifying changes in loading when limits are specified in many locations in a large and spatially heterogeneous catchment, accounting for cumulative downstream impacts. Current approaches to this problem tend to use either scenario analysis or optimization, which suffer from difficulties of generating scenarios that meet the limits, or high complexity of optimization approaches. In contrast, we present a novel method in which simple catchment models, load limits, upstream/downstream spatial relationships and spatial allocation rules are combined to arrive at source load changes. The process iteratively establishes the critical location (river segment or lake) where the limits are most constraining, and then adjusts sources upstream of the critical location to meet the limit at that location. The method is demonstrated with application to New Zealand (268,000 km2) for nutrients and the microbial indicator E. coli, which was conducted to support policy development regarding water quality limits. The model provided useful insights, such as a source load excess (the need for source load reduction) even after mitigation measures are introduced in order to comply with E. coli limits. On the other hand, there was headroom (ability to increase source loading) for nutrients. The method enables assessment of the necessary source load reductions to achieve water quality limits over broad areas such as large catchments or whole regions.

Evaluating the Impact of Climate Change on Water Quality and Quantity in an Urban Watershed Using an Ensemble Approach

Considerable efforts are underway to restore watersheds and estuaries downstream impacted by urban development; however, climate change (CC) may be undermining them. Current methods are limited in their ability to predict hydrology and water quality with CC and assess its effect on the efficiency of stormwater control measures (SCMs). We developed a method using downscaled global climate models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) to project precipitation and temperatures; these were used to force a Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). Three scenarios, a historical and two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 4.5 and 8.5) with five GCMs, were used to produce ensemble results. All GCMs in both RCP scenarios projected increases in precipitation and temperature compared to historical conditions. Both RCPs exhibited their largest increases in precipitation, streamflow, total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorous (TP) loads in the winter, summer exhibited the largest increase in temperature. Median loads of TSS, TN, and TP increased 3.1%, 2.5%, and 9.9%, respectively, for RCP 4.5, and increased 3.8%, 3.1%, and 10.4%, respectively, for RCP 8.5. Median reductions in TSS, TN, and TP SCM efficiency for RCP 4.5 were projected to be 6%, 7%, and 11%, respectively; and 11%, 12%, and 17% for RCP 8.5, respectively. Thus, it is likely that additional efforts will be needed to meet water quality goals in the future. Methods such as these can help create climate resilient watershed improvement strategies and guide urban stormwater planning against likely future changes as a result of CC.

Water pollution trends in Ciliwung River based on water quality parameters

Ciliwung River is one of the rivers crossing West Java and special capital region of (DKI) Jakarta provinces which plays an important role in fulfilling the needs of human activities and living things surrounding it. Designated as a national priority for management, the Ciliwung River that runs from Mount Pangrango (upper stream) to Jakarta Bay (lower stream) has received pollution from results of human activities such as household activities, agriculture, plantations, animal husbandry, industry, and recreation areas. In addition, the decreased green cover in the upstream area also adds more pressure on the quantity of water in the Ciliwung River. The purpose of this study was to determine the trend of water pollution in the Ciliwung River in the period of 2011-2014 based on physical, chemical and biological parameters. Samples were taken from 22 points starting from upstream to downstream area. From 15 water quality parameters, there were only three parameters, namely total dissolved solid (TDS), pH and nitrate (NO3-N) which still meet water quality criteria class II based on Government Regulation number 82/2001, in all observation periods and sampling sites. Other parameters invariably meet or beyond the water quality criteria. Pollution trend increased towards the downstream of Ciliwung River, however annual comparisons across the year of observations did not show significant differences. High pollution in the downstream area was caused by accumulated pollutants coming from waste disposal of densely populated area and diverse activities in the downstream. Fecal coliform bacteria and total coliform contributed the highest pollution in the Ciliwung River compared to other pollutants. Both those two parameters greatly exceed the water quality criteria at all sampling sites, except in the Ciliwung river spring. Controlling those two parameters may improve Ciliwung water quality.

An integrated modeling approach for identifying cost-effective strategies in controlling water pollution of urban watersheds

In water pollution control of urban river basins, one major issue is to reduce water pollutants at the least costs. In this research, an integrated hydrodynamic-water quality simulation-based multi-response surface method was proposed to help optimize mitigation measures on water quality rehabilitation in Shiwuli River basin of Hefei City, China. Initially, multi-response surface method (MRSM) with two-levels and two responses, i.e., cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) and water quality standard-reaching rate (WQSR) were designed where the factors of interests include the point source reducing rate (i.e., Factor A), the non-point source reducing rate (i.e., Factor B) and water transfer (i.e., Factor C). Then a hydrodynamic-water quality model was developed to predict water quality effects of the proposed combined factors. At the same time, the cost functions were established to estimate economic costs of the combined factors. Lastly, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression analysis (MRA) were employed to help gain some new cognition in the statistically significant way. The obtained model revealed that Factor A and B were significant for both CER and WQSR. This means that in the study area, pollution source reduction is more important than water transfer. Though the optimal minimal CER was obtainable with 0.1493 (M$ per percentage) when the pointing source reducing rate is 77.9%, the non-point source reducing rate is 40% and the water transfer was controlled at a low level, respectively, with water quality standard-reaching rate 70.7%. It fails to achieve water quality objectives (WQSR ≥ 90.0%). Moreover, In order to meet water quality target, simultaneous optimization of two objective functions: minimal CER and maximal WQSR was achievable with the optimum value of 90% for WQSR and 0.1810 (M$ per percentage) for CER ,respectively, with the pointing source reducing rate (90.0%), the non-point source reducing rate (57.2%) and the water transfer at a low level. It provided an alternative simulation–optimization method for decision of water pollution control which had the advantages in reflecting the real water environment system and simplifying the algorithm compared to the conventional mathematical programming at the watershed scale.

Additionality in Payment for Ecosystem Services Programs: Agricultural Conservation Subsidies in Maryland

Many payment for ecosystem services programs peg subsidy levels to the complexity of conservation projects. We investigate the additionality of conservation subsidies on project complexity using data from Maryland, which has used PES programs aggressively to reduce agricultural nutrient emissions into the Chesapeake Bay. A reduced-form linear model indicates modest overall average additionality. A structural approach using counterfactuals constructed from count data model parameters yields the same overall average but finds that additionality varies with project complexity. These results suggest that projections of agriculture’s potential to lower costs of meeting water quality goals are likely overly optimistic.

Estimation of Rate Constants for Nutrient Transformations

Non-point source pollution of surface water is a major impediment to meet water quality objectives. Managing such pollution sources in a sustainable way is a key success factor in maintaining high water quality and to prevent eutrophication. Mathematical models are widely used to simulate ecological and water quality interactions in surface waters. Simulation errors may arise due to uncertainties of the structure, input data and the model parameters. In this study, an attempt has been made to estimate the rate constants for nutrient transformations in Kabini River located in Southern part of Karnataka state in India. The experimental results demonstrated both ammonia and nitrite oxidation. In the river water, DO concentration was 5.2 mg/L. After addition of pollutants it reduced to 3.9 mg/L. EC changed from 370 to 550 μS/cm. pH remained almost the same. At 320C, the rate constants for phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, potassium and ammonia were found to be 0.165, 0.21, 0.077, 0.0777 and 0.078/hr respectively. The results obtained clearly specify that the rate constants are concentration and temperature dependent.

Incorporating uncertainty and risk into decision making to reduce nitrogen inputs to impaired waters

This article aims to understand decision making under uncertainty and risk, with a case study on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Decision makers need to consider imperfect information on the cost and effectiveness of advanced nitrogen-removing on-site wastewater treatment systems as options to mitigate water quality degradation. Research included modeling nitrogen load reduction to impaired coastal waters from seven treatment system technologies and eliciting expert knowledge on their costs. Predictions of nitrogen load removal and cost for each technology incorporated variation in effectiveness and uncertainty in household water use, costs, and expert confidence in costs. The predictions were evaluated using the Pareto efficiency concept to reveal tradeoffs between cost and effectiveness. The stochastic dominance index was used to identify preferred technologies for risk-averse decision making, assuming no further learning is possible. Lastly, the predictions were combined into a cost-effectiveness metric to estimate the expected payoff of implementing the best treatment system in the face of uncertainty and the expected payoff of learning which treatment systems are most cost-effective over time. The expected value of perfect information was calculated as the difference between the expected payoffs. Three technologies revealed Pareto efficient tradeoffs between cost and effectiveness, whereas one technology was the preferred risk-averse option in the absence of future learning. There was a high expected value of perfect information, which could motivate adaptive management on Cape Cod. This research demonstrated decision analysis methods to guide future research and decision making toward meeting water quality objectives and reducing uncertainty.

PERBANDINGAN SIFAT KIMIA AIR SUNGAI CISADANE PADA TATA GUNA LAHAN YANG BERBEDA

The study that examined the analysis of the chemical properties of the Cisadane River in Tangerang City was carried out from April to June 2019, to compare the water quality of the Cisadane river through chemical properties in three types of land use. The study used a survey method by determining the sampling of the test material and measuring water quality carried out by purposive sampling, adjusted for the sinking of the land. Sampling points for fisheries area and housing areas are in Karawaci Hilir (station 1), Babakan (station 2) and Sukajadi (station 3). The sampling point of the factory area is around the tofu mill (station 1), the paper mill (station 2) and the palm oil mill (station 3) all in Karawaci Hilir. Data analysis in the laboratory includes DO, COD, BOD and PO4. The results showed that water quality in the catchment area of fishermen had DO, BOD, COD and PO4 values that met water quality standards, except at station 3 which had very high BOD and COD values, presumably due to disposal of construction waste and household waste. For residential areas, only high BOD content exceeds the water quality standard. Whereas in the factory area, low DO levels indicate that it is not feasible for aquatic biota life. The BOD content is high at all stations, the COD content is very high only at station 2, which is indicated by the large amount of water hyacinth that grows and a very strong odor. In general, the water quality of the Cisadane River in three types of land use needs special handling to prevent environmental pollution.Keywords: water quality standards, water quality, Cisadane River, chemical properties, land use

Kualitas Air Sungai pada Berbagai Tipe Penutupan Lahan pada Sub-sub DAS di DAS Latuppa

Water has an important role in life. The use of water in various activities must be based on water quality which is influenced by various aspects, one of it is land cover. This study aims to determine water quality, water quality standards and the effect of land cover on water. This study took samples at six points to determine the physical and chemical quality of water. The results showed that the chemical and physical quality of water in the Latuppa watershed still met water quality standards when there was no rain. Parameters that did not meet when rain occurred in the form of turbidity, TSS, and BOD in the river water of the Latuppa watershed. Water quality of the Siguntu Sub-watershed and the Mangkaluku Sub-watershed in the Latuppa River Basin is still relatively good for the use of raw water for drinking water. The water quality in the Latuppa watershed which is covered by forest land (Siguntu Sub-watershed and Mangkaluku Sub-watershed) is better than non-forested (Rantenase Sub-watershed).

Nutrient Loss in Snowmelt Runoff: Results from a Long-term Study in a Dryland Cropping System.

Snowmelt runoff often comprises the majority of annual runoff in the Canadian Prairies and a significant proportion of total nutrient loss from agricultural land to surface water. Our objective was to determine the effect of agroecosystem management on snowmelt runoff and nutrient losses from a long-term field experiment at Swift Current, SK. Runoff quantity, nutrient concentrations, and loads were estimated after a change in management from conventionally tilled wheat ( L.)-fallow (Conv W-F) to no-till wheat-fallow and subsequently no-till wheat-pulse (NT W-F/LP) and to an organic system with a wheat-green manure rotation (Org W-GM). The conversion from conventional tillage practices to no-till increased snowmelt runoff likely due to snow trapping by standing stubble after summer fallow. Relatedly, runoff after no-till summer fallow had higher dissolved P losses (0.07 kg P ha). Replacing summer fallow with a pulse crop in the no-till rotation decreased snowmelt runoff losses and nutrient concentrations. The Org W-GM treatment had the lowest P loss after stubble (0.02 kg P ha) but had high dissolved P concentrations in snowmelt following the green manure (0.55 mg P L), suggesting a contribution from incorporated crop residues. In this semiarid climate with little runoff, dissolved reactive P and NO-N loads in snowmelt runoff were smaller than those reported elsewhere on the prairies (averaging <0.05 kg P ha yr, and <0.2 kg NO-N ha yr); however, the nutrient concentrations we observed, in particular for P, even without P fertilizer addition for organic production, question the practicality of agricultural management systems in this region meeting water quality guidelines.

Disinfection of water and wastewater by biosynthesized magnetite and zerovalent iron nanoparticles via NAP-NAR enzymes of Proteus mirabilis 10B.

Disinfection of water and wastewater strongly contributes to solving the problem of water shortage in arid/semi-arid areas; cheap and ecofriendly approaches have to be used to meet water quality standards. In the present study, a green synthesis of iron nanoparticles (INPs) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions via nitrate reductases (NAP/NAR) enzymes produced by Proteus mirabilis strain 10B were employed for this target. The biosynthesized INPs were characterized; UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed surface plasmon resonance at 410 (aerobic) and 265 nm (anaerobic). XRD indicated crystalline magnetite ((MNPs) aerobically synthesized) and zerovalent INPs (ZVINPs anaerobically synthesized). EDX demonstrated strong iron signal with atomic percentages 73.3% (MNPs) and 61.7% (ZVINPs). TEM micrographs illustrated tiny, spherical, periplasmic MNPs (1.44-1.92 nm) and cytoplasmic ZVINPs with 11.7-60.8 nm. Zeta potential recorded - 31.8 mV (ZVINPs) and - 66.4 mV (MNPs) affirming colloidal stability. Moreover, the disinfection power of INPs was evaluated for standards organisms and real water (fresh, sea and salt mine) and wastewater (municipal, agricultural and industrial) samples. The results reported that INPs displayed higher antagonistic effect than iron precursor, 700 and 850 μg/mL of MNPs and ZVINPs, respectively, was sufficient to show a drastic algicidal effect on algal growth. Both types of INPs demonstrated obvious dose-dependent antibiofilm efficiency. Due to their smaller size, MNPs were more efficient than ZVINPs at the suppression of microbial growth in all examined water samples. Overall, MNPs showed superior antagonistic activity, which promotes their exploitation in enhancing water/wastewater quality.

As(V) Adsorption Kinetics of Humic Acid-Coated Magnetite Particles

The discharge of arsenic (As) ions into water is a serious issue which needs to be curbed effectively due to the hazards of As exposure. Hence, a simple, cheap and effective removal procedure is required in order to meet water quality standards. In this research, magnetite (Fe3O4) particles coated with humic acid were investigated for its efficacy in adsorbing As. The particles were synthesised by varying the temperature (70, 80 and 90°C) and concentration of humic acid (1%, 2% and 3%) to study the corresponding changes in terms of size, structure and As adsorption performance. The phase and size were characterised with X-ray Diffraction and Dynamic Light Scattering technique, respectively. The performance of the synthesised particles in removing As (V) was quantitatively analysed using the colorimetric method with the assistance of a double-beam Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrophotometry. XRD analysis confirms the formation of magnetite while samples coated with 2% and 3% humic acid exhibited less crystallised structures. From the DLS analysis, Fe3O4 was found to have an average size of 2238nm while humic acid coated-Fe3O4 had increased particle sizes of between 2400nm to 3712nm. All the synthesised magnetite particles were able to remove certain percentages of As (V) from water. The highest adsorption capacity obtained was 1.984 mg/g and the lowest was 1.376 mg/g for a contact times of 40 minutes and 20 minutes, respectively.

Allocating Water Environmental Capacity to Meet Water Quality Control by Considering Both Point and Non-Point Source Pollution Using a Mathematical Model: Tidal River Network Case Study

Based on the principles of fairness and feasibility, a nonlinear optimization allocation method for pollutants was developed based on controlled section water quality standards, considering the synergetic influence of point and surface sources. The maximum allowable emission of pollutants from point and surface sources were taken as the objective function. The water quality attainment rate of controlled sections, the control requirements of pollution sources, and technical parameters of pollution control engineering were taken as constraints. A nonlinear optimization allocation model was established, and a genetic algorithm was used to solve the problem. As an example, the model was applied to a certain area in the Taihu Lake basin, southern Jiangsu province, China. The analysis results showed that the annual number of days for ammonia-nitrogen and total phosphorus meeting the standard were 334 and 332 days, respectively, under maximum allowable emissions for each pollutant, and the water quality compliance rates of the control section were 91.5% and 91%, respectively. The ammonia-nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations in the controlled section achieved related water quality compliance rate targets of 90%. These all met the water quality compliance rate requirements of the control section. The results indicate that this method reflects the feasibility of optimizing the total allocation results systematically and intuitively, overcomes the insufficiency in the feasibility of the optimized allocation method, and provides effective and reliable technical support for control and management of the total pollutant amount based on water quality improvement.

Optimisation adaptative d’un champ captant vulnérable

The contamination of groundwater resources is a challenge for drinking water supplies. To meet water quality standards, well-field operators need practical solutions to reduce the vulnerability of production wells. Strategies for several combinations of management variables such as well flow rate or water level in drains, are usually possible to satisfy the required production rate. However, these strategies may lead to contamination issues for the abstracted groundwater. A surrogate transport model was implemented in a well field vulnerable to a contaminated stream. An adaptive multi-objective optimization approach is proposed. The objective is to maximize the water production at the well field while minimizing the proportion of stream water abstracted. The optimization problem is adaptive to the stream level, which is a key parameter describing hydrological conditions. A systematic exploration of management settings is conducted and a three-dimensional Pareto front is extracted. From these optimum settings, a practical easy-to-use approach is developed. The well-field operator can adjust production settings to optimum conditions as a function of the observed stream water level and desired production rate.

MEASURING LOTIC ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES TO NUTRIENTS: A Mismatch that Limits the Synthesis and Application of Experimental Studies to Management.

MEASURING LOTIC ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES TO NUTRIENTS: A Mismatch that Limits the Synthesis and Application of Experimental Studies to Management.

Managing the small stream network for improved water quality, biodiversity and ecosystem services protection (SSNet)

This paper outlines the research being undertaken by the recently-initiated four-year (to March 2022) project on the small stream network in Ireland (SSNet) funded by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The overarching objective of SSNet is to advance knowledge on the role of small streams in water quality, biodiversity and ecosystem services protection that will inform policy, measures and management options to meet water quality and other resources protection targets. The project will start with a synthesis of available information on the importance of small streams to initiate communication with stakeholders and introduce the project. This will be followed by a compilation and analysis of existing data on small streams in Ireland to inform the selection of sites for the proposed research. Three work packages will collect new data on hydrochemistry with a focus on the nutrient retention potential of headwater streams, hydromorphology and biodiversity. All three investigations will share common sites to enable interconnections between the three elements to be explored and provide an integrated approach to the research. Modelling based on the results from each of the aforementioned tasks will be used to estimate the level of intervention in the small stream network required to have measurable effects throughout a catchment on both water quality (N, P &amp;amp; sediment) and flows, and overall delivery/maintenance of ecosystem services. We will also engage volunteers in both biological water quality and hydromorphological assessments and evaluate the potential of citizen science in facilitating greater monitoring coverage of the small stream network.