Monitoring system for recording and sampling erosion-borne surface drains

Because the environmental regulations are becoming more and more broad and stringent, there is an increasing need for fastidious and reliably working devices, e.g. in situ measurement and sampling able to supervise run-off effects close to natural conditions.

UGT-developed erosion measuring system enables the automatic recording of the beginning and the intensity of precipitation-conditioned surface discharges. It is also used for discharge-dependent sampling as well as for the filling of sub-samples for the analysis of the soil substances contained in water.

The system components are represented in the blockdiagram:

The temporal registration of the precipitation intensity with high resolution allows an exact evaluation of the surface drainage and serves the water-erosion process clearing-up.
The collection of erosion run-off and of the pollutants present in the water and sediment takes place on the basis of continuous measurements (long-term monitoring) with only small interference with the ecosystem.

Compared with commercially-available sample systems, the measuring and sampling system developed by UGT is characterized by the fact that the drainage containing the sediments is won exclusively over “calm water”, i.e. the natural discharge remains uninfluenced up to the filling of the samples into the bottle magazine.
Pumps and dosing equipment as well as the water samplers for standing and running waters are technically not applicable for erosion loads. Soil solutions are inclined to strong sedimentation and prevent a representative sampling.

Also the pollutants contained in the surface discharge must remain definitely in the sample. Plant protection agents may not be promoted due to their volatileness for example under vacuum.

The UGT measuring system is assigned in plot attempts and small catchment areas, at edges of waters and/or bank strip, vineyards, ski tendencies and under tropical conditions.
The systems are particularly made according to respective setting of tasks and local conditions.