Groundwater Risk Management Using Data Logger for an Automated Information Retrieval

Abstract

An extensive groundwater risk management, especially in large-scaled catchment areas, can only be achieved by a continuous observation of the groundwater level and indicating quality parameters. Because of the complexity of hydro-geological systems, the net of measuring points (groundwater gauging stations, climate stations, river gages) in such a catchment area is very dense. The maintenance and processing of the heterogeneous and distributed groundwater information requires a high level of manpower. As an aid, in this situation a specialized groundwater data logger can be used for automated information retrieval. Although data logger have been used for the monitoring of rivers for many years, the benefit of monitoring slow altering groundwater bodies has been controversial. This paper describes the necessity of immediate supervision of groundwater bodies by presenting some critical groundwater situations. Data logger which store groundwater-specific data automatically and in short intervals, have to be integrated in a holistic groundwater management system. Therefore, the logged data has to be transferred, analysed, corrected, filtered and imported. On actual data, the relevant participant can be notified by the system if critical groundwater levels or detrimental effects occur. In addition, the decision makers receive automatically generated examined material and adequate suggestions for the correct countermeasures.