Floods erode soil, contaminate water sources, and can lead to the displacement of populations. Flood management strategies include constructing barriers, improving drainage systems, and implementing early warning systems to minimize the impact of flooding.

The challenge in most floods is to capture the peak flows or capture the flow at all since there are many rivers and streams which are problematic to measure, but in most cases there is a resource issues in terms of personnel for measurement sites. Having mobile, light measurement units which are easy to store, transport and deploy are a game changer in how we can collect flood data even at non priority one gauging sites. These Rapid Deployment Units (RDU) are perfect for such applications.

If you look at the definition of a Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) in the military sense: A Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) is a specialized military or emergency response unit designed to quickly deploy and provide immediate assistance in crisis situations. RDUs are typically trained and equipped to respond rapidly to various scenarios such as natural disasters, humanitarian crises, terrorist attacks, or other emergencies.

This definition describes perfect the definition of the RQ-ADMS from SOMMER. The “ADMS” stands for “Autonomous Discharge Measurement System.” The RQ-ADMS is an ALL-IN-ONE solution to discharge, level, and surface velocity measurement. The term ALL-IN-ONE can be described as: In the technology field, for example, an all-in-one unit could refer to a computer system that integrates the monitor, central processing unit (CPU), and other components into a single unit, eliminating the need for separate power or desktop components.

Following that thought, it is clear that the RQ-ADMS includes more than just a discharge sensor. The RQ-ADMS includes the famous RQ-30 discharge sensor from SOMMER as well as data logger, data transmission and battery in just one small housing. The total unit can be easily handled, transported, deployed, and again stored. It’s very compact dimensions also mean that even when deployed the unit does not attract too much attention and therefore is not prone too much to vandalism. 

The advantages are clear; one unit with everything packed into a small compact housing. This enables users to check the weather and when they see a storm coming in or heavy rain approaching. The users can select the short time measurement spots they want to monitor for the next 3-7days or the next weeks. Due to the flexible battery setup in the unit, there are either one or two batteries inside the housing, therefor it is easy to select the best battery capacity for the planned measurement campaign. A Campaign duration of max. 2-3 months is easily possible on one set of batteries. If a solar panel can be mounted and connected to the RQ-ADMS the RQ-ADMS transforms into a full maintenance free measurement station for velocity, level, and discharge. Optionally you can also connect further sensors like water quality parameters to the data logger, so you get an even bigger picture and understanding from your measurement site.

The internal data logger developed by SOMMER adds a lot of additional features and values added functionality. It is possible to connect remotely via 4G communication to the data logger and configure, change, read out data or setup the data logger itself, all directly from the office without leaving the safety and comfort of the office. If you wish to get a better understanding of the measurement site, especially if you are in the office, the camera option is a great value-added option to remotely receive pictures from the actual site via the data logger. Using the camera, you get live as well as historical pictures to your server and PC in the office. All these advantages are great, but furthermore you can configure the RQ thru the data logger as well. This means that you can run analytics, site assessments remotely thru the data logger from the office. Doing these tasks over 4G or 2G is fine, but what if you have no cellular reception? This is easy to answer, you use satellite communication. Our satellite communication is a two-way communication which means the RQ-ADMS can do all the above points also over satellite communication. Which is great in the remote areas of the world. This helps to safe costs for trips to remote sites to adjust some parameters, of course yearly or half yearly site visits are recommended but SOMMER is trying to optimize the time in between as well.