Drinking Water Source Protection Research Articles

Embedded reservoir and constructed wetland for drinking water source protection: Effects on nutrient removal and phytoplankton succession

An embedded reservoir that provides an efficient nutrient removal system protects drinking water. However, embedded reservoirs are rarely used in eutrophic shallow lakes because of their undetermined nutrient retention efficiency and unknown effects by the phytoplankton community. In this study, we aim to investigate the nutrient retention and algae succession in an embedded reservoir and adjacent wetland from April 2017 to September 2018 in the eastern part of Lake Taihu, China. More than 40% of total phosphorus (TP) and 45% of particulate phosphorous entering the reservoir were retained semi-annually, and the highest TP removal efficiency was achieved in the reservoir during autumn with an average value of 53.3% ± 9.9%. The overall nitrogen retention efficiency (21.7% ± 37.8%) was lower than that of TP (41.8% ± 27.8%). Similar trends were obtained in the wetland area. An important pathway for phosphorus removal is through particulate matter retention. Our study revealed that nutrient retention mechanisms in the reservoir were primarily via macrophyte absorption, particulate substance sedimentation, and prolonged water residence time. Consequently, the phytoplankton biomass (Chl-a) in the reservoir decreased (from 48.0 to 25.2 μg/L) and water transparency improved, due to the decreased P level and transformation of the phytoplankton group into simple structures with good ecological status. Therefore, the combination of embedded reservoir and constructed wetland ecosystem can be used successfully to protect surface water. The results will be advantageous to groups seeking to preserve drinking water sources.

A Systems Analysis Approach to Identifying Critical Success Factors in Drinking Water Source Protection Programs

The success of source protection in ensuring safe drinking water is centered around being able to understand the hazards present in the catchment then plan and implement control measures to manage water quality risk to levels which can be controlled through downstream barriers. The programs in place to manage source protection are complex sociotechnical systems involving policy, standards, regulators, technology, human factors and so on. This study uses System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) to analyze the operational hazards of a typical drinking water source protection (DWSP) program and identify countermeasures to ensure safe operations. To validate the STPA results a questionnaire was developed based on selective grouping of the initial countermeasures identified and distributed to specialists in DWSP in Taiwan, Australia and Greece. Through statistical analysis using Principle Components Analysis (PCA), the study identified four critical success factors (CSFs) for DWSP based on the questionnaire responses. The four CSFs identified were “Policy and Government Agency Support of Source Protection”, “Catchment Risk Monitoring and Information”, “Support of Operational Field Activities” and “Response to Water Quality Threats”. The results of this study provide insight into the approach of grouping of source protection measures to identify a series of targeted CSF for operational source protection programs. Using CSF can aid catchment management agencies in ensuring that the risk level in the catchment is managed effectively and that threats to public health from drinking water are managed appropriately.

Assessment of Water Quality Improvements Using the Hydrodynamic Simulation Approach in Regulated Cascade Reservoirs: A Case Study of Drinking Water Sources of Shenzhen, China

Water quality safety is of critical importance in environmental improvement, particularly with respect to drinking water resources worldwide. As the main drinking water sources in Shenzhen, China, the cascade reservoirs comprising the Shiyan, Tiegang, and Xili Reservoirs are highly regulated and have experienced water quality deterioration in recent years. In this study, a three-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model was established using the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) for the cascade reservoirs. The relationships between water quality and improvement measures were quantified and the main pollution sources for individual reservoirs were identified. Results showed that the hydrodynamic and water quality model well captured the spatial and temporal variations of water level, the permanganate concentration index (CODMn), and total nitrogen (TN), with high resolution in the cascade reservoirs. The correlation coefficients between simulations and observations were close to 1.00 for water levels, and over 0.50 for CODMn and TN concentrations. The most effective methods for water quality improvement were the reduction of the runoff load for TN and transferred water load for CODMn in the Shiyan Reservoir, reduction of the transferred water load in the Tiegang Reservoir, and an increase in transfer water volume, especially in the flood season, in the Xili Reservoir. Internal pollution sources also played an important role in water pollution, and thus sedimentation should be cleaned up regularly. This study is expected to provide scientific support for drinking water source protection and promote the application of hydrodynamic model in water quality management.

The Pollution Caused by Protection: The Unintended Consequences of the Local Governance of the Urban Drinking Water Source Protection in Tianjin, China

This paper examines how the hierarchical way of governing erodes and distorts the function of environmental policies by analyzing the unintended consequences of the governance of the urban drinking water source protection in Tianjin, a mega-city in China, as a case study. Since the 1990s, Tianjin Municipal Government and Jixian Government (China) have setup a series of local measures for environmental governance to protect Yuqiao Reservoir, which is the water source of Tianjin and its surroundings. In general, the measures fall into three categories: water management, residence management, and the waste management. The governing principle is “no use, no pollution”. However, according to the field study, unintended consequences come along: some new kinds of pollution, from both household and production, occur in this area as a result of the implementation of these measures. Through the combination of functional analysis and the unintended consequences approach, three responsible factors have been found: Firstly, the absence of local residents in the whole decision-making process leads to distrust of the government, especially at the grass-roots level. Secondly, the “no use, no pollution” logic vastly reduces the reservoir’s utility and significance to the local residents, which leads to “no use, no protection”. Thirdly, the collapse of the traditional rules of mutual supervision also contributes to the deterioration. In conclusion, the typically hierarchical way of governing in this area leads to inevitable unintended consequences. This paper starts by summarizing relevant literature on local protective governance of the environment, especially in China, focusing on the consequences and their causes, in relation to research done in the area of unintended consequences of purposive social action. Then, following the empirical objects and the data collection methods, we present the case study in Yuqiao reserve, Tianjin, China, and analyze the unintended consequences. Moving to the result, the three reasons for the occurrence of the situation are shown. The last part is a discussion of the relevance of the findings in relation to the current urban governance study in China, and some practical suggestions are also given to point out a pathway for work in the next steps.

Factors Contributing to Hypoxia in the Minjiang River Estuary, Southeast China.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is not only a fundamental parameter of coastal water quality, but also an indication of organics decomposed in water and their degree of eutrophication. There has been a concern about the deterioration of dissolved oxygen conditions in the Minjiang River Estuary, the longest river in Fujian Province, Southeast China. In this study, the syntheses effects on DO was analyzed by using a four year time series of DO concentration and ancillary parameters (river discharge, water level, and temperature) from the Fuzhou Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, at three automated stations along the Minjiang River Estuary. Hypoxia occurred exclusively in the fluvial sections of the estuary during the high temperature and low river discharge period and was remarkably more serious in the river reach near the large urban area of Fuzhou. Enhancement of respiration by temperature and discharge of domestic sewage and industrial wastewater, versus regeneration of waters and dilution of pollutant concentration with increased river discharge, which regarded as the dominant antagonist processes that controlled the appearance of seasonal hypoxia. During the high temperature and the drought period, minimal mainstream flow above 700 m3·s−1, reduction of pollutants and forbidding sediment dredging in the South Channel should be guaranteed for strong supports on water quality management and drinking water source protection.

Delineation of Groundwater Sources Environmental Quality Red Line Using Numerical Simulation Method

Delineation of groundwater sources environmental quality red line fully embodies the strictest possible rules to protect the ecological system. Underground drinking water source protection area boundary should be the “red line” and its management requirement should be implemented in the “red line” area. As an example of underground drinking water in Tengzhou, groundwater sources environmental quality red line was delineated, using MODFLOW and MODPATH. The groundwater flow model was validated by 5 observation wells data. The results showed that the model could describe the actual situation of groundwater flow in the study area. The smallest error between calculated value and measured value was 0.42m and the maximum error was 2.09m. The area boundary of backtracking particle which had run 100 days was the groundwater sources environmental quality red line. The maximum distance from the groundwater source central position to the red line was 360m, and the minimum distance was 200m.

A screening method for making the source water event-based approach operational

Numerical modeling is increasingly used as a tool for environmental assessment and planning, including for Drinking Water Source Protection in Ontario as outlined in the Government of Ontario's 2006 Clean Water Act. However, modeling procedures are often inadequate in the organizational context and tight budgets. It remains a challenge to adapt these procedures such that they are transparent and efficient for watershed practitioners. This paper reviews and analyzes the application of the event-based approach, as defined in the technical rules to the ‘Clean Water Act’. Four limitations are then identified in a case study using the common procedure. Addressing these requires iterative model refinements, which likely result in cost overruns and undermine sound budget planning. An alternative method is then suggested, demonstrated and validated, which uses numerical modeling for creating a generic diagram. Such a generic diagram offers a transparent decision-making tool for planners, other non-technical employes and land owners.

Roles of Rural Contiguous Improvement Measures on the Non-Point Source Pollution Control in Rural Area in China

Nowadays, agricultural non-point source pollution has become the main pollution source of water environment, especially for drinking water. Water sources protection has become a major problem in national economy and people's livelihood. Rural contiguous improvement project, including rural drinking water source protection, rural domestic sewage treatment, rural living garbage and livestock industry pollution treatment, can not only improve rural living environment, but also effectively reduce the non-point source pollution source of the water sources. A case study in north China showed that, after rural contiguous improvement, the amount of pollution source reduced significantly, so as to protect and improve the environmental quality of water source reserve effectively.

A hybrid evolutionary data driven model for river water quality early warning

China's fast pace industrialization and growing population has led to several accidental surface water pollution events in the last decades. The government of China, after the 2005 Songhua River incident, has pushed for the development of early warning systems (EWS) for drinking water source protection. However, there are still many weaknesses in EWS in China such as the lack of pollution monitoring and advanced water quality prediction models. The application of Data Driven Models (DDM) such as Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) has acquired recent attention as an alternative to physical models. For a case study in a south industrial city in China, a DDM based on genetic algorithm (GA) and ANN was tested to increase the response time of the city's EWS. The GA-ANN model was used to predict NH3–N, CODmn and TOC variables at station B 2 h ahead of time while showing the most sensitive input variables available at station A, 12 km upstream. For NH3–N, the most sensitive input variables were TOC, CODmn, TP, NH3–N and Turbidity with model performance giving a mean square error (MSE) of 0.0033, mean percent error (MPE) of 6% and regression (R) of 92%. For COD, the most sensitive input variables were Turbidity and CODmn with model performance giving a MSE of 0.201, MPE of 5% and R of 0.87. For TOC, the most sensitive input variables were Turbidity and CODmn with model performance giving a MSE of 0.101, MPE of 2% and R of 0.94. In addition, the GA-ANN model performed better for 8 h ahead of time. For future studies, the use of a GA-ANN modelling technique can be very useful for water quality prediction in Chinese monitoring stations which already measure and have immediately available water quality data.

Public Perception of Drinking Water Source Protection: Who Wants What?

Climate change is reducing water resources in many parts of Australia. Increasingly, higher risk sources are either being developed or being considered for development as public drinking water sources. There is a rising demand from the community for additional recreation facilities and subsequent access to drinking water catchments, as they are predominantly close to urban areas. These competing factors place substantial pressure on public water utilities to ensure the provision of safe drinking water. As the health risk profile increases, there is a need for additional barriers which may include new or upgraded water treatment facilities.This report covers the methodological development in the WaterRA project Public Perception of Source Protection and Its Relationship to Recreation and Water Treatment. It aims to develop a nationally applicable methodology to assist in the formulation of defensible policy which provides for drinking water source protection while accounting for recreational needs in surface water catchments in Australia.This title is Co-published with WaterRAISBN: 9781780406190 (eBook)ISBN: 9781780406183 (Print)

The Study of Groundwater Environment Pollution Risk Assessment in Lead Zinc Ore

Recently, the groundwater heavy metal pollution is becoming more and more serious with the development of economy of China. In order to analyze the effect of lead zinc ore has on groundwater of the Southwest Mining District, after considering characteristics of heavy metal pollution, groundwater anti-fouling ability of natural selection, aquifer intrinsic vulnerability and drinking water source protection area, the groundwater environmental effect of a lead zinc ore is assessed and discussed.

Incorporating community and multiple perspectives in the development of acceptable drinking water source protection policy in catchments facing recreation demands

The protection of catchment areas for drinking water quality has become an increasingly disputed issue in Australia and internationally. This is particularly the case in regard to the growing demand for nature based and rural recreation. Currently the policy for the protection of drinking water in Western Australia is to enforce a 2 km exclusion zone with a much larger surrounding area with limited and prescribed access to recreators. The debate between recreators and water management agencies has been lively, culminating in a recent state government enquiry. This paper describes the second phase of a three phase study to develop a methodology for defensible policy formulation which accounts for the points of view of all stakeholders. We examine general community, active recreators and professionals' views on the current policy of catchment protection and five proposed alternatives using a social judgement theory approach. Key attitudinal determinants of the preferences for policies were identified. Overall the recreators did not support the current policy despite strong support from both the general community and the professional group. Nevertheless, it was evident that there was some support by the community for policies that would enable a slight relaxation of current recreational exclusion. It was also evident that there was a significant proportion of the general community who were dissatisfied with current recreational opportunities and that, in future, it may be less easy to police exclusion zones even if current policy is maintained. The potential for future integration of recreational and water source protection is discussed as well as the benefits of community research in understanding policy preferences in this regard.

Algae community and trophic state of subtropical reservoirs in southeast Fujian, China

Fujian reservoirs in southeast China are important water resources for economic and social sustainable development, although few have been studied previously. In recent years, growing population and increasing demands for water shifted the focus of many reservoirs from flood control and irrigation water to drinking water. However, most of them showed a rapid increase in the level of eutrophication, which is one of the most serious and challenging environmental problems. In this study, we investigated the algae community characteristics, trophic state, and eutrophication control strategies for typical subtropical reservoirs in southeast Fujian. Surface water samples were collected using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic bottles from 11 Fujian reservoirs in summer 2010. Planktonic algae were investigated by optical microscopy. Water properties were determined according to the national standard methods. Shallow reservoirs generally have higher values of trophic state index (TSI) and appear to be more susceptible to anthropogenic disturbance than deeper reservoirs. A total of 129 taxa belonging to eight phyla (i.e., Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Chrysophyta, Cryptophyta, Cyanophyta, Euglenophyta, Pyrrophyta, Xanthophyta) were observed and the most diverse groups were Chlorophyta (52 taxa), Cyanophyta (20 taxa), Euglenophyta (17 taxa), Chrysophyta (14 taxa). The dominant groups were Chlorophyta (40.58%), Cyanophyta (22.91%), Bacillariophyta (21.61%), Chrysophyta (6.91%). The species richness, abundance, diversity, and evenness of algae varied significantly between reservoirs. TSI results indicated that all 11 reservoirs were eutrophic, three of them were hypereutrophic, six were middle eutrophic, and two were light eutrophic. There was a strong positive correlation between algal diversity and TSI at P < 0.05. Our canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) results illustrated that temperature, transparency, conductivity, DO, TC, NH(4)-N, NO(x)-N, TP, and chlorophyll a were significant environmental variables affecting the distribution of algae communities. The transparency and chlorophyll a were the strongest environmental factors in explaining the community data. Furthermore, the degradation of water quality associated with excess levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in Fujian reservoirs may be impacted by interactions among agriculture and urban factors. A watershed-based management strategy, especially phosphorus control, should be developed for drinking water source protection and sustainable reservoirs in the future. All investigated reservoirs were eutrophicated based on the comprehensive TSI values; thus, our results provided an early warning of water degradation in Fujian reservoirs. Furthermore, the trophic state plays an important role in shaping community structure and in determining species diversity of algae. Therefore, long-term and regular monitoring of Euglenophyta, Cyanophyta, TN, TP and chlorophyll a in reservoirs is urgently needed to further understand the future trend of eutrophication and to develop a watershed-based strategy to manage the Cyanophyta bloom hazards.

鸡桑药共生模式库区土壤养分变化及流失风险

Miyun Reservoir is the main source of drinking water for Beijing.However,it is increasingly threatened by losses of nitrogen and phosphorus from slope farmland in the drinking water source protection catchment.A contour hedgerow intercropping system of forage mulberry(Morus multicaulis Perr.) and medicinal plant was planted to control and mitigate the non-point source contaminants in the catchment.Free-range Beijing Fatty Chickens were raised in the intercropping areas(free-range mode) to feed on mulberry additives in the adjacent areas(feeding mode).Topsoil samples from the two modes were collected for determination of organic matter,nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium contents,and mulberry samples from the free-range mode and its control were collected for determination of nitrogen(N),phosphorus(P) and potassium(K) contents in the plant.The results showed that compared with the controls,the soil organic matter content(OM),total nitrogen(TN),available N,P and K,and nitrate of the two mode areas increased significantly,which promoted the growth of the mulberry and medicinal plant and the nutrient uptake;the soil organic matter,TN and total phosphorus(TP) were greater in the feeding and free-range mode with high density of 60 and low density of 20 chickens per mu,respectively,than those in the free-range mode.However,compared with the upper parts of the slope farmland in the free-range chickens with high density,the soil available N,P and K at the lower parts of the slope farmland were increased by 20.3%,71.9% and 21.9%,respectively.It suggests that the soil nutrient accumulation could be related to the feeding density and runoff.The nitrogen and phosphorus loads from chicken manure in the feeding mode were 189kg/hm2 and 84.8kg/hm2,respectively,which exceeded the EU(European Union) limits of 170kg N/hm2 and 80kg P2O5/ hm2,respectively;it could lead to high N and P losses to the Reservoir.The N and P loads in the free-range mode were 75.6kg/hm2 and 33.9kg/hm2,respectively,much less than the environmental limits,thus resulting in less risk of nutrient losses.Therefore,the decomposition and mineralization of chicken manure in the contour hedgerow intercropping system of forage mulberry and medicinal plant can supply nutrients to the intercropping plants,on the other hand,it can effectively prevent the loss of organic matter and nitrogen and phosphorus,and provide feed to free-range chickens.These results suggest that the intercropping system of forage mulberry/medicinal plant/ low-density free-range chicken is an effective ecological mode for controlling and mitigating water contamination by agricultural non-point source pollution in the catchment.

Eco-compensation of drinking water source protection region in eastern Lake Taihu based on development right valuation

生态补偿是协调环境保护与区域发展机会公平的重要手段.太湖东部湖区是苏州市、嘉兴市和上海市重要饮用水源供给地.本文分析了苏州市滨湖地区水源地水质保护行为与发展权价值损失的关系.应用区域比较法,在地理要素修正的基础上评价了太湖东部水源保护区发展权价值损失,以此作为生态补偿的标准.研究表明,2009年太湖东部地区水质保护行为的发展权损失为42.39亿元,地方财政收入损失占75.88%;农民收入损失占13.58%;城镇居民收入损失占10.53%.为了缩小城乡居民的收入差距,应优先对农民实施生态补偿.水质保护行为产生的外部收益超出了水源供给价值,需要在更大范围内统筹生态补偿问题.;Ecological compensation is an important means to coordinate the contradiction between environmental protection and regional development fairness. Eastern Lake Taihu is an important source of drinking water for Suzhou, Jiaxing and Shanghai cities. This paper analyzes the connection between water quality protection behavior and loss of development right value in Suzhou city. Based on geographic factor correction, the paper applies regional comparison method to evaluate the loss of development right in drinking water source protection region in eastern Lake Taihu, as the standard of eco-compensation. It shows that the loss of development right in eastern Lake Taihu in 2009 is 4.239 billion yuan, while the loss of local fiscal revenue, farmers' income and urban residents' income accounting for 75.88%, 13.58% and 10.53%, respectively. In order to narrow the income gap between urban and rural residents, farmers should be given priority on the implementation of eco-compensation. The external benefit from water protection behavior has beyond the value of water supply, so overall the eco-compensation police in a greater region is needed.

Discussion on Legislation of Rural Safe Drinking Water in China

There is a serious problem of rural unsafe drinking water in china,but only it is essential for legislation to solve comprehensively.Through the analysis of the legislative background, legislative basis and legislative framework system of rural safe drinking water,the paper explores some legislative issues.Water source contaminated by industrial pollutants, agricultural pollutants, domestic pollutants, is the biggest obstacle to rural drinking water safety.Rural safe drinking water legislation have sufficiently the constitutional basis and the basic law basis. Legislative framework system is composed of drinking water source protection,rural water supply planning,project financing,operation and management mechanisms,emergency warning system, pricing system, supervision system etc. Rural safe drinking water legislation will play a significant role in solving fundamentally the problem of rural safe drinking water.

Capacity Building - A tool for Up-scaling Decentralised Sanitation Infrastructure Provision

India is home to almost one-third of the world's population that survive without adequate sanitation facilities. Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association (BORDA) in collaboration with the Consortium for DEWATS Dissemination (CDD) Society, has developed for the last 10 years, integrated solution packages for the provision of basic urban sanitation facilities. The customised packages include all or part of key sanitation elements like: toilets, decentralised wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS), health and hygiene education, solid waste management, drainage system, stakeholder participation measures. Over the last decade, with the support of its network partners CDD Society has been successful in delivering around 400 sanitation systems in South Asia. Due to the rapid growth of its population, India may require 1.3 million sanitation systems alone in the coming years. One of the key issues in meeting this huge target is the lack of trained professionals and implementing agencies. To upscale the efforts in delivering basic needs services in the sanitation sector, the Basic Needs Services (BNS) Network has started the establishment of a capacity building institution for decentralised sanitation solutions called Centre for Advanced Sanitation Solutions (CASS). CASS aims at providing the entire range of knowledge and skills required for the implementation of integrated sanitation solutions such as technical know-how for designing toilets, decentralised wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS), drainage systems, solid waste management and drinking water source protection; social support measures include health and hygiene education, community-based participatory planning tools as well as project management related aspects. For town and city managers, CASS will offer planning support for city and town-wide sanitation programmes. Furthermore, sanitation related R&amp;D activities, knowledge management and exhibition is offered under CASS's ‘One-Stop-Shop’ concept; all components of sanitation are provided under one roof. This paper presents the basic components of the capacity building strategy developed by CDD/BORDA focusing on target groups, development of knowledge units (training module) and the didactical approach.

The development of new environmental policies and processes in response to a crisis: the case of the multiple barrier approach for safe drinking water

While new environmental policies and procedures often are developed incrementally, they can also result from crises or other significant events. In situations where policies and procedures are introduced in response to a crisis, questions about the strengths and weaknesses of existing mechanisms, and the extent to which they can be used to address concerns, may be ignored. This paper explores the complexities of introducing new policies and processes where planning systems and procedures already exist. Drinking water source protection policies that are being developed in response to the tragic events in Walkerton, Ontario, Canada serve as the context for the inquiry. Three case study watersheds were selected to reflect the diversity of municipal jurisdictions and water supply systems in Ontario. A content analysis was undertaken on regulatory and non-regulatory policy documents to determine the extent to which they addressed elements of the multi-barrier approach for drinking water safety. Findings from the research reveal considerable evidence of the multi-barrier approach in the policy and guiding documents analyzed. Policy development in response to a crisis can advance progress on the issue of drinking water safety and coincide with emerging governance strategies. Policy effectiveness may be enhanced by considering existing policies as well as contextual and jurisdictional differences.

Drinking Water Source Protection in the Tampa Bay Region: A Guide for Government Officials

SS524, a 4-page fact sheet by Amy L. Shober, familiarizes government officials in the Tampa Bay region with some of the regulatory and non-regulatory tools that can help to protect local sources of drinking water. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, December 2009. SL312/SS524: Drinking Water Source Protection in the Tampa Bay Region: A Guide for Government Officials (ufl.edu)

Sewerage treatment in an integrated constructed wetland

An integrated constructed wetland was constructed in 2006/2007 to treat combined sewage from the village of Glaslough in North Monaghan, Ireland. With a design capacity of 1750 population equivalent, the plant became operational in October 2007 and the current load is around 800 population equivalent. Untreated influent is pumped directly to a receiving sludge pond; the liquid then flows by gravity through five sequential vegetated ponds and the effluent discharges directly to the Mountain Water River. The banks of the ponds feature equestrian riding trails. Monitoring equipment has been installed in each pond and early results are very encouraging. In the first year of operation, effluent quality consistently surpassed the quality of the receiving river. The system can robustly cope with large variations in volumetric and biological oxygen demand loadings of the influent. The construction and maintenance of the wctland show significant cost savings compared with traditional sewage treatment plants in the county. The extensive monitoring work being undertaken at Glaslough wctland will help promote the wctland concept and its application to a range of water quality management issues such as leachate (from landfills), sewage sludges, drinking water source protection and flood amelioration.