Specific Water Quality Research Articles

LAJU PERTUMBUHAN DAN EFISIENSI PAKAN IKAN NILA (Oreochromis niloticus) YANG DIPELIHARA DALAM KOLAM TERPAL YANG DIPUASAKAN SECARA PERIODIK

ABSTRACT Starved was one effort that can reduce the feed consumption and feed residues without decreasing growth of cultured fish. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of starved periodically to the specific growth rate and feed efficiency of tilapia reared in the pond. The research had been conducted in Laboratorium Budidaya Perairan, Faculty of Agriculture, Sriwijaya Unversity on April – Juni 2016. This research method used Completely Randomized Design with four treatments and three replications that was every day feed without starvation (P0), one day feed one day starvation (P1), two days feed one day starvation (P2) and three days feed one day starvation (P3). Parameters of this research are specific growth rate, feed efficiency, survival rate and water quality (temperature, pH, DO, ammonia). The result showed that starved periodically significantly effect to the growth rate and feed efficiency of cultured tilapia in the pond. Treatment P1 (one day feed one day starvation) gave highest specific weight growth rate and specific length growth rate which were 2.32%.day-1 and 1.27%.day-1 then feed efficiency was 84.46%. The highest survival rate occurred in treatment P1 (one day feed one day starvation) 82%. Water quality of this research were temperature 27.0-31.5 oC, pH 6.8-7.9, dissolved oxygen 4.53-7.23 mg.L-1, and ammonia 0.01-0.30 mg.L-1. Keywords : Feed Efficiency, Specific growth rate, Starved, , Tilapia.

Near Real-Time Detection of E. coli in Reclaimed Water.

Advanced treatment of reclaimed water prior to potable reuse normally results in the inactivation of bacterial populations, however, incremental treatment failure can result in bacteria, including pathogens, remaining viable. Therefore, potential microorganisms need to be detected in real-time to preclude potential adverse human health effects. Real-time detection of microbes presents unique problems which are dependent on the water quality of the test water, including parameters such as particulate content and turbidity, and natural organic matter content. In addition, microbes are unusual in that: (i) viability and culturability are not always synonymous; (ii) viability in water can be reduced by osmotic stress; and (iii) bacteria can invoke repair mechanisms in response to UV disinfection resulting in regrowth of bacterial populations. All these issues related to bacteria affect the efficacy of real-time detection for bacteria. Here we evaluate three different sensors suitable for specific water qualities. The sensor A is an on-line, real-time sensor that allows for the continuous monitoring of particulates (including microbial contaminants) using multi-angle-light scattering (MALS) technology. The sensor B is a microbial detection system that uses optical technique, Mie light scattering, for particle sizing and fluorescence emission for viable bacteria detection. The last sensor C was based on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. E. coli was used a model organism and out of all tested sensors, we found the sensor C to be the most accurate. It has a great potential as a surrogate parameter for microbial loads in test waters and be useful for process control in treatment trains.

Pathogen Rejection in Potable Reuse: The Role of NF/RO and Importance of Integrity Testing

AbstractAlthough nanofiltration and reverse osmosis may not be essential in all potable reuse treatment, they should be evaluated on whether they are necessary for achieving a specific water quality objective such as salinity reduction, for which few other viable alternatives are available.

Organic Matter Composition More Important than Concentration in Ion Exchange Demineralization of Different Water Qualities for the Production of Steam

Fresh water becomes a limited resource in the industry. In order to help chemical industries use other water sources and close their water cycle for the production of steam, a well-founded insight on the challenges and possibilities of switching from one specific water quality to another is needed. A case study for Monsanto Europe N.V. was carried out, but the main findings hold for many more applications, as many industries struggle with water scarcity and feel the need to reuse wastewater. Besides demineralization by ion exchange (IEX), the total organic carbon (TOC) concentration, composition, and the formation of organic acids under boiler conditions were investigated for two different water qualities (Antwerp tap water and wastewater after reverse osmosis (RO) treatment). The comparison included the effect of TOC composition on its removal by IEX and the potential corrosiveness of TOC compounds. Despite tap water showing a more efficient and higher TOC removal compared to RO permeate (93% and 57%, respectively), tap water led to more organic acid formation under boiler conditions. Including the composition of the organic matter in TOC corrosiveness assessment may offer multiple advantages, not in the least economic benefits, when less treatment is required in order to meet the TOC limit value.

Impacts of stream riparian buffer land use on water temperature and food availability for fish

ABSTRACTRestoration of degraded freshwater ecosystems has gained considerable attention in the USA over the past decades. However, most projects focus almost entirely on the restoration of physical habitat or specific water quality parameters, while ignoring critical ecological processes related to food web re-establishment. In this study, we investigate the impact of riparian habitat in different stages of restoration on food availability for fish in four streams in Pennsylvania, USA. The riparian buffer habitats ranged from open meadow to mature forest and included new to long-term restoration sites. We quantified abundance and community composition of aquatic macroinvertebrates and riparian arthropods with aerial and ground-dwelling life history strategies. We found that riparian habitat and water temperature exert a strong influence over potential food resources for fish, with the open meadow habitat having highest abundance of terrestrial and aquatic insects, lowest taxa richness, and possible multivoltine aquatic insect life-history. Our results provide insight into the importance of riparian buffer habitat and water temperature on the composition of food availability for fish species of concern such as brook trout. The significant differences emphasize the need to include food web dynamics into riparian habitat restoration design to guide future rehabilitation projects focusing on fish conservation.

The Nuisance Mosquito Anopheles plumbeus (Stephens, 1828) in Germany-A Questionnaire Survey May Help Support Surveillance and Control.

The mosquito species Anopheles plumbeus is an aggressive biter and a potential vector of malaria parasites and West Nile virus. It occurs naturally at low population densities, as its larval development is adapted to the specific water qualities found in tree holes. However, probably owing to environmental changes, it has recently been observed in several European countries to use increasingly often artificial breeding habitats that may lead to mass development and severe annoyance to humans living close by. The perception of mosquito nuisance, however, is very subjective, and breeding habitats are not always known, thus impeding targeted surveillance and control. To relate nuisance by An. plumbeus to specific environmental conditions, a questionnaire survey was carried out addressing persons who had submitted specimens of this particular mosquito species to the German citizen science project “Mueckenatlas”, an instrument of passive mosquito surveillance. The questionnaire was intended to find out whether a nuisance situation linked to An. plumbeus had existed, whether mosquito breeding habitats could be identified and whether control measures had been conducted. Despite some efforts, the participants who claimed to suffer from an An. plumbeus nuisance problem had rarely identified the source of the mosquitoes. Once control measures had been performed on abandoned manure pits, however, the nuisance problem disappeared or mosquito abundance was at least significantly reduced. Nevertheless, no significant effect of abandoned manure pits on the probability of an An. plumbeus nuisance could be demonstrated in a multivariate logistic regression model testing various variables. Instead, a significant positive effect of a disused farm nearby was found. The reason is probably that manure pits as the most frequent source of An. plumbeus mass development are often located on disused farms, without most people’s knowledge about their existence. Disused farms are therefore appropriate candidates to consider when it comes to public health issues connected to An. plumbeus such as surveillance of mass development and implementation of control measures.

Urban Stormwater Characterization, Control, and Treatment.

A summary of 246 studies published in 2016 on topics related to the characterization and management of urban stormwater runoff is presented in the following review. The review is structured along three major topical areas: (1) general characterization of stormwater quantity and quality; (2) engineered systems for stormwater control and treatment, including erosion and sediment control practices, constructed stormwater ponds and wetlands, bioretention, permeable pavement, greenroofs, and rainwater harvesting and (3) watershedscale application of stormwater treatment and control practices. Common research themes and needs highlighted throughout this review include efforts to better understand stormwater transport and treatment mechanisms and their representation in models, advancements to optimize the design of stormwater control measures to meet specific hydrologic and/or water quality targets, and increasing understanding of the biophysical and social factors that influence watershed-scale implementation of low impact development and other stormwater control measures.

Monitoring based localisation of pollution sources

Water quality modelling is currently very effective and important tool in context of the task to ensure the required quality of water resources, respectively, to achieve (maintain) good water status according the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC). This paper analyses the current status in numerical modelling of pollution dispersion in streams and use of some modelling approaches for the inverse task. Inverse task means a modelling technique, which is focused on the localisation of unknown pollution source (typical common models or equations are rather focused on the pollution spreading simulation, whereas the pollution source location is known). Paper offers an idea of such inverse task solution. It is based on the known pollution concentration time courses or it can be based on the results of the on-line monitoring of the specific water quality parameters as well. For the application of inverse tasks in conditions of real streams and rivers a large number of various requirements and conditions in specific river should be considered, i. a. the non-prismatic river bed, occurrence of dead zones, dispersion rate etc. Paper also describes the first version of the software for solving inverse tasks and preliminary experiences of using this software.

Adsorptive performance of granular activated carbon in aquaculture and aquaria: A simplified method

ABSTRACTA principle concern for aquaculturists and aquarium hobbyists is the control and removal of dissolved organic matter. Granular activated carbon is a well-established medium for the adsorption of dissolved organic substances associated with these issues. The selection of activated carbon for aquaria and aquaculture is not well established due to innate heterogeneity of these waters. The means to completely characterize adsorption between carbon sources are generally not available to end users provided their level of expertise and/or resources at their disposal. This study introduces a relatively simple method for characterizing activated carbon quality and filter performance utilizing readily available and relatively safe indicator compounds to test adsorptive capabilities between different sources of granular activated carbon. Methylene blue and a commercial mix of humic and tannic substances were used to comparatively test adsorptive performance between two filter groups (i.e., sources of granular activated carbon) by tracking spectral absorbance with nonlinear regression statistics and validating removal trends against mature aquaculture water. Greater adsorptive capacities were consistently observed in one filter group throughout the indicator testing battery. Similar findings were observed between the two indicator tests, thereby confirming the method. This method can be adopted by commercial aquaculture operations or aquarists to assist in comparatively screening particular types, particle sizes, and sources of granular activated carbon for specific water quality and engineering requirements.

Evaluating the use of in-situ turbidity measurements to quantify fluvial sediment and phosphorus concentrations and fluxes in agricultural streams

Accurate quantification of suspended sediments (SS) and particulate phosphorus (PP) concentrations and loads is complex due to episodic delivery associated with storms and management activities often missed by infrequent sampling. Surrogate measurements such as turbidity can improve understanding of pollutant behaviour, providing calibrations can be made cost-effectively and with quantified uncertainties. Here, we compared fortnightly and storm intensive water quality sampling with semi-continuous turbidity monitoring calibrated against spot samples as three potential methods for determining SS and PP concentrations and loads in an agricultural catchment over two-years. In the second year of sampling we evaluated the transferability of turbidity calibration relationships to an adjacent catchment with similar soils and land cover. When data from nine storm events were pooled, both SS and PP concentrations (all in log space) were better related to turbidity than they were to discharge. Developing separate calibration relationship for the rising and falling limbs of the hydrograph provided further improvement. However, the ability to transfer calibrations between adjacent catchments was not evident as the relationships of both SS and PP with turbidity differed both in gradient and intercept on the rising limb of the hydrograph between the two catchments. We conclude that the reduced uncertainty in load estimation derived from the use of turbidity as a proxy for specific water quality parameters in long-term regulatory monitoring programmes, must be considered alongside the increased capital and maintenance costs of turbidity equipment, potentially noisy turbidity data and the need for site-specific prolonged storm calibration periods.

Spatial scale and seasonal dependence of land use impacts on riverine water quality in the Huai River basin, China.

Land use pattern is an effective reflection of anthropic activities, which are primarily responsible for water quality deterioration. A detailed understanding of relationship between water quality and land use is critical for effective land use management to improve water quality. Linear mixed effects and multiple regression models were applied to water quality data collected from 2003 to 2010 from 36 stations in the Huai River basin together with topography and climate data, to characterize the land use impacts on water quality and their spatial scale and seasonal dependence. The results indicated that the influence of land use categories on specific water quality parameter was multiple and varied with spatial scales and seasons. Land use exhibited strongest association with dissolved oxygen (DO) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentrations at entire watershed scale and with total phosphorus (TP) and fluoride concentrations at finer scales. However, the spatial scale, at which land use exerted strongest influence on instream chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels, varied with seasons. In addition, land use composition was responsible for the seasonal pattern observed in contaminant concentrations. COD, NH3-N, and fluoride generally peaked during dry seasons in highly urbanized regions and during rainy seasons in less urbanized regions. High proportion of agricultural and rural areas was associated with high nutrient contamination risk during spring. The results highlight the spatial scale and seasonal dependence of land use impacts on water quality and can provide scientific basis for scale-specific land management and seasonal contamination control.

Removal of Natural Organic Matter (NOM), Turbidity, and Color of Surface Water by Integration of Enhanced Coagulation Process and Direct Filtration

This work assesses the efficiency of integrated enhanced coagulation and direct filtration processes for the removal of color, turbidity, and natural organic matter (NOM) from surface water. The processes were conducted in a simulated pilot. The operating conditions of the treatment process, including pH, FeCl3 dose, and influent flow, were investigated. Following that, its efficiency was evaluated by measuring specific water quality parameters in the output stream including NOM, turbidity, and color. The results showed that under optimum conditions (pH, FeCl3 dose, and influent flow of 6.2, 95 L/h, and 40 mg/l, respectively), the color and turbidity were removed 96% and 95% respectively. According to factors analysis by the Taguchi method, the influence of these factors on the removal of pollutants decreased as follows: pH → FeCl3 dose → influent flow. The results revealed that the integrated enhanced coagulation process and direct filtration can improve the efficiency of colors, turbidity, and NOM removal in water treatment plants.

Microbial quality of agricultural water in Central Florida.

The microbial quality of water that comes into the edible portion of produce is believed to directly relate to the safety of produce, and metrics describing indicator organisms are commonly used to ensure safety. The US FDA Produce Safety Rule (PSR) sets very specific microbiological water quality metrics for agricultural water that contacts the harvestable portion of produce. Validation of these metrics for agricultural water is essential for produce safety. Water samples (500 mL) from six agricultural ponds were collected during the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 growing seasons (46 and 44 samples respectively, 540 from all ponds). Microbial indicator populations (total coliforms, generic Escherichia coli, and enterococci) were enumerated, environmental variables (temperature, pH, conductivity, redox potential, and turbidity) measured, and pathogen presence evaluated by PCR. Salmonella isolates were serotyped and analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Following rain events, coliforms increased up to 4.2 log MPN/100 mL. Populations of coliforms and enterococci ranged from 2 to 8 and 1 to 5 log MPN/100 mL, respectively. Microbial indicators did not correlate with environmental variables, except pH (P<0.0001). The invA gene (Salmonella) was detected in 26/540 (4.8%) samples, in all ponds and growing seasons, and 14 serotypes detected. Six STEC genes were detected in samples: hly (83.3%), fliC (51.8%), eaeA (17.4%), rfbE (17.4%), stx-I (32.6%), stx-II (9.4%). While all ponds met the PSR requirements, at least one virulence gene from Salmonella (invA-4.8%) or STEC (stx-I-32.6%, stx-II-9.4%) was detected in each pond. Water quality for tested agricultural ponds, below recommended standards, did not guarantee the absence of pathogens. Investigating the relationships among physicochemical attributes, environmental factors, indicator microorganisms, and pathogen presence allows researchers to have a greater understanding of contamination risks from agricultural surface waters in the field.

Effect of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) on recovered stormwater quality variability

Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) is increasingly being considered as a means of reusing urban stormwater to supplement available urban water resources. Storage of stormwater in an aquifer has been shown to affect water quality but it has also been claimed that storage will also decrease the stormwater quality variability making for improved predictability and management. This study is the first to document the changes in stormwater quality variability as a result of subsurface storage at four full scale ASR sites using advanced statistical techniques. New methods to examine water quality are required as data is often highly left censored and so traditional measures of variability such as the coefficient of variation are inappropriate. It was observed that for some water quality parameters (most notably E. coli) there was a marked improvement of water quality and a significant decrease in variability at all sites. This means that aquifer storage prior to engineered treatment systems may be advantageous in terms of system design to avoid over engineering. For other parameters such as metal(loids)s and nutrients the trend was less clear due to the numerous processes occurring during storage leading to an increase in variability, especially for geogenic metals and metalloids such as iron and arsenic. Depending upon the specific water quality parameters and end use, use of ASR may not have a dampening effect on stormwater quality variability.

Assessing the relation of USDA conservation expenditures to suspended sediment reductions in an Iowa watershed

From 1936 to 2010, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies spent $293.7 billion (value adjusted for inflation at the 2009 level) on conservation programs. Of these expenditures, $75.2 billion (26%) were allocated for technical assistance (TA; it is related to costs associated with USDA field staff providing their expert advice to farmers) and $218.5 billion (74%) for financial assistance (FA; monetary incentives for farmers to adopt conservation programs). A major environmental goal of these programs was to reduce soil erosion and sediment leaving the land. In this study, we correlate expenditures on FA and TA programs to a unique long (1937–2009) record of total suspended solids (TSS) and sediment load (SL) for the Raccoon River at Van Meter, Iowa. Study results suggest that three predictors (rainfall, TA and FA) are important in explaining the temporal changes in annual TSS and SL and provide evidence that USDA expenditures helped reduce TSS and SL in the Raccoon River. TA was more effective than FA in reducing TSS levels in the watershed. Our empirical model represents an initial, broad-scale attempt to correlate conservation expenditures to a specific water quality outcome, although more work is needed to disentangle the impacts associated with other unexplored factors.

Modeling Impacts of Residential and Agricultural Development and Beneficial Management Practice Scenarios on Phosphorus Dynamics in a Small Watershed

<abstract> <b><sc>Abstract.</sc></b> Both agricultural land uses and residential on-site wastewater systems (OWS) have the potential to be nonpoint sources of phosphorus (P) in rural watersheds. Watershed-scale computer models are a commonly used tool for evaluating the impacts of increased human development on P dynamics and for evaluating how beneficial management practices (BMPs) can reduce P loading. Many agricultural field BMPs have been evaluated using watershed-scale models; however, no studies have compared their efficacy to OWS BMPs in a mixed land use watershed. The objectives of this research were to (1) use the P on-site wastewater simulator (POWSIM) and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to simulate different agricultural and residential development scenarios in the Thomas Brook watershed in Nova Scotia, Canada, and evaluate their impacts on sediment and total P (TP) loads and TP concentrations and (2) simulate and evaluate different individual and combinations of select agricultural and OWS BMPs. A 50-year simulation period was used for both the development and BMP scenarios. The development scenarios evaluated included increasing the residential population and conversion of hay fields or pastures to corn-based cropping regimes. The agricultural BMPs evaluated were (1) corn and rotational crop replacement with no-till agricultural land uses and (2) no-till corn. Decreased failure rates, increased watercourse setbacks, disposal field replacement, and the use of high P sorption filter media were the OWS BMPs evaluated. The agricultural development scenarios increased cumulative sediment and P loads at the watershed outlet, while the residential scenarios increased the frequency of hyper-eutrophic conditions in the stream during the last 20 simulated years. Agricultural crop replacement BMPs produced the highest reductions in cumulative sediment (13% to 46%) and TP loads (26% to 34%) but had no observable change on the in-stream trophic status. The OWS BMPs produced small reductions in TP loading (2% to 15%), no sediment load reductions, but had a positive effect on the trophic status. The best ranked combination of agricultural and OWS BMPs resulted in a cumulative TP load reduction of 58%, and the dominant trophic state at the end of the 50-year period was mesotrophic, as compared to eutrophic for the reference simulation. The best combination BMP scenario included replacing corn and rotational crops with pastures, using high P sorption filter media (5000 mg P kg^-1 media), and lowering of the OWS failure rate to 5%. The results of these modeling scenarios showed that agricultural BMPs were most effective in reducing cumulative P loads, while OWS BMPs were effective in mitigating in-stream eutrophication impacts. This study highlights the importance of identifying specific water quality issues that need to be targeted prior to implementing a watershed BMP strategy. Further model refinement and testing are required with improved field measurements to improve model confidence before the model should be used for planning and design purposes.

Algal assemblage responses to acid mine drainage and steel plant wastewater effluent up and downstream of pre and post wetland rehabilitation

Algae give a time-integrated indication of specific water quality components and respond rapidly to water quality changes making them useful for biomonitoring purposes. Freshwater algae were employed to differentiate between water quality conditions up and downstream before and after wetland rehabilitation to determine the feasibility of wetland enlargement as a possible rehabilitation measure. Grootspruit valley bottom wetland, impacted by acid mine drainage, was severely degraded before restoration. Rehabilitation was done through redirection of water flow using concrete structures to enlarge the surface area by 9.4ha. After wetland rehabilitation, pH values, suspended chlorophyll-a and alkalinity concentrations increased downstream, while electrical conductivity, sulphate, total suspended solids decreased up to 80%. Algae species diversity and richness corresponded with the improvement of water quality and also increased downstream after rehabilitation. Overall, results indicated an improvement in algal diversity and water quality after enlargement of the bottom wetland.

Acute dysprosium toxicity to Daphnia pulex and Hyalella azteca and development of the biotic ligand approach

The toxicological understanding of rare earth elements (REEs) in the aquatic environment is very limited but of increasing concern. The objective of this research is to compare the toxicological effect of the REE dysprosium to the freshwater invertebrates Daphnia pulex and Hyalella azteca and in the more sensitive organism, understand the toxicity modifying influence of Ca, Na, Mg, pH and dissolved organic matter (DOM). Standard methods (Environment Canada) were followed for testing and culture in media of intermediate hardness (60mg CaCO3 mg/L) at pH 7.8 with Ca at 0.5, Na 0.5, Mg 0.125 (mM) and 23°C. Acute toxicity tests were done with <24h old neonates for 48h in the case of D. pulex and with 2–9 days old offspring for 96h tests with Hyalella. The potential protective effect of cationic competition was tested with Ca (0.5–2.0mM), Na (0.5–2.0mM) and Mg (0.125–0.5mM). The effect of pH (6.5–8.0) and Suwannee River DOM complexation (at dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations of 9 and 13mg C/L) were evaluated. Dissolved Dy concentrations were lower than total (unfiltered) indicating precipitation, particularly at higher concentrations. Acute toxicity of Dy to H. azteca and D. pulex revealed Hyalella to be 1.4 times more sensitive than Daphnia. Additions of Ca and Na but not Mg provided significant protection against Dy toxicity to Hyalella. Similarly, low pH was associated with reduction in toxicity. Exposures which were pH buffered with and without MOPS were significantly different and indicated that MOPS enhanced Dy toxicity. DOM also mitigated Dy toxicity. Biotic ligand based parameters (LogK values) were calculated based on free ion relationships as determined by geochemical equilibrium modeling software (WHAM ver. 7.02). The logK value for Dy3+ toxicity to Hyalella was 7.75 while the protective influence of Ca and Na were 3.95 and 4.10, respectively. This study contributes data towards the development of site specific water quality guidelines and criteria for Dy and possibly REEs in general and offers insight into the complex bio-geochemical nature of this element.

Analysis for Regression Model Behavior by Sampling Strategy for Annual Pollutant Load Estimation.

Water quality data are typically collected less frequently than streamflow data due to the cost of collection and analysis, and therefore water quality data may need to be estimated for additional days. Regression models are applicable to interpolate water quality data associated with streamflow data and have come to be extensively used, requiring relatively small amounts of data. There is a need to evaluate how well the regression models represent pollutant loads from intermittent water quality data sets. Both the specific regression model and water quality data frequency are important factors in pollutant load estimation. In this study, nine regression models from the Load Estimator (LOADEST) and one regression model from the Web-based Load Interpolation Tool (LOADIN) were evaluated with subsampled water quality data sets from daily measured water quality data sets for N, P, and sediment. Each water quality parameter had different correlations with streamflow, and the subsampled water quality data sets had various proportions of storm samples. The behaviors of the regression models differed not only by water quality parameter but also by proportion of storm samples. The regression models from LOADEST provided accurate and precise annual sediment and P load estimates using the water quality data of 20 to 40% storm samples. LOADIN provided more accurate and precise annual N load estimates than LOADEST. In addition, the results indicate that avoidance of water quality data extrapolation and availability of water quality data from storm events were crucial in annual pollutant load estimation using pollutant regression models.

Spatiotemporal variability of water quality and stable water isotopes in intensively managed prairie watersheds

AbstractLow‐relief and highly engineered prairie landscapes present many challenges for water quality modelling. Limited investigation has been carried out to determine whether drains, canals and diversions (artificial waterways) impact water quality relative to natural or naturalized systems or to assess the value of stable water isotopes as predictor variables for specific water quality metrics. The goal of this paper is to investigate the spatiotemporal variability of water chemistry in a typical prairie watershed by (1) comparing water quality and stable water isotopic ratios between naturalized and artificial waterways; (2) evaluating the relationships between topographic and land use characteristics, water quality and stable water isotopic ratios; and (3) expressing and predicting PO4 concentrations as a function of stable water isotopic ratios. Focus was on the 2509 km2 mostly agricultural Seine River Watershed located in southern Manitoba, Canada. Twenty‐four sampling sites located along naturalized river reaches, drains and diversions were visited once a week from May to June 2013. Surface water samples were collected and tested for physical water quality parameters and PO4 concentrations, δ2H and δ18O. Kruskal–Wallis tests show no significant differences in water chemistry among waterway types, while strong correlations were found between physical water quality parameters, PO4 concentrations, isotopic ratios and watershed characteristics. PO4 concentrations were successfully predicted from isotopic ratios using linear regression models. These results bear significant importance for the mostly ungauged prairie watersheds, thanks to the relative ease and lower cost of measuring stable water isotopic ratios in comparison to nutrient concentrations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.