The phrase "a system of waterways" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing infrastructure related to water transport, irrigation, or environmental management.
Example: "The city has developed a system of waterways to improve transportation and reduce traffic congestion."
Alternatives: "network of canals" or "water transport system".
He also designed a system of inland waterways, a submarine, and a steam warship.
A system of inland waterways running parallel to the coast provides Kochi with cheap transportation, encouraging trade.
Tectonic shifts interrupted the flow of the river forming what is now the Okavango Delta, a unique system of waterways that supports a vast array of animal and plant life, in what would have otherwise been dry Kalahari savannah.
WHETHER lured by its historic or cultural riches, visitors to Berlin are often surprised to find that the German capital sits on a vast system of waterways and is home to more bridges than Venice.
Hydrography of the Ile delta is characterized by a complex system of waterways, floodplains and lakes between the dunes.
The Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation (S&SY) is a system of navigable inland waterways (canals and canalised rivers) in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
It is clear from the act, and the many interpretations it has been given over the years, that Congress intended to protect a whole national system of waterways.
Under construction in one form or another for more than a century, the system of waterways and pipelines spans thousands of miles and comprises nineteen reservoirs and three lakes.
The ultimate objective is to create a trans-Brazilian system of waterways to connect through Peru and Bolivia, to transport raw material exports to China, Japan and North America.
Built in the mid-1990s, it's something of an architectural wonder, complete with it's own mini system of waterways, a small amphitheatre and an abundance of overhanging vegetation.
