AIM: The Tancredo Neves International Airport (TNIA) complex is situated in Brazil's Fidalgo watershed. Since its construction, the TNIA complex has attracted urban development, leading to expansion of the complex and occupation of the surrounding area. However, this area lacks basic infrastructure such as wastewater treatment facilities. This paper had the objectives of calibrating and validating a water quality prediction model and of assessing the capacity of small karstic watersheds to assimilate non-point source pollutant loads; METHODS: We used the QUAL2Kw model for modeling the water quality. We performed model calibration for the rainy period then validated the results for the dry period; RESULTS: The model adequately represented the physical, chemical, and hydraulic aspects of the Fidalgo watershed. The pH, EC, TDS, TP, alkalinity and E. coli presented the closest simulation values for the rainy period. For the dry period, the best simulations were obtained for pH, EC, TDS, TP, and alkalinity. We concluded that the calibration and validation periods had similar RMSE values for flow rate, TDS and DOC. The differences were greater for pH, EC, NO3, TP, and E. coli. The lowest dissolved oxygen contents obtained during the calibration and validation periods were 5.4 and 4.7 mg.L-1, respectively, both of which are higher than the minimum of 4.0 mg.L-1 established by the USEPA for the conservation of aquatic communities, but lower than the minimum of 5.0 mg.L-1established by the Brazilian CONAMA 357. The upper limits for biochemical oxygen demand and total N and P can be met as long as the respective loads increase by no more than 0.361 kg.d-1 O2, 0.022 kg.d-1 N, and 0.010 kg.d-1 P, according to USEPA and 0.361 kg.d-1 O2 and 0.012 kg.d-1 P according to CONAMA 357; CONCLUSIONS: The conservation of the water resources in this region should therefore consider the adoption of preventive measures such as protecting exposed soils and decreasing the nutrient influx from agricultural and livestock activities.
water quality; karstic region; modeling; QUAL2Kw; urban pollution
