Stepwise, controlled flooding of underground mines is a major element in rehabilitating the legacies of uranium ore mining at the Königstein, Aue, and Ronneburg sites. To monitor adjacent aquifer quality, Wismut GmbH operates a measuring network that consists of numerous ground-water measuring points. At these points, water samples are regularly taken from depths down to 300 metres.

Groundwater monitoring and sampling at the Königstein site was limited to a depth of 180 m, since a number of measuring points are located within the Sächsische Schweiz National Park where no heavy logging equipment could be used.

As no mobile pumping unit was commercially available, sampling from greater depths had to be done by bailing, as a substitute. However, bailing is associated with the risk of only incompletely registering changes in groundwater composition.

Teaming up with a number of firms in Saxony, Thuringia, and Saxony-Anhalt, Wismut GmbH succeeded to develop a mobile pump system which allows sampling down to depths of almost 300 metres, and hence ensures compliance with regulatory requirements.

The mobile unit consists of a base vehicle which integrates all required components and meets all requirements regarding trafficability of measuring points without causing environmental damage. Its modular equipments make the logging truck highly versatile and quickly adaptable to any site-specific situation.

This unit is a welcome addition to flood control tools in service at Wismut. Design and construction costs ran into several €100,000.