Sediment health risk assessment is the principal yardstick of measuring urban pollution. Direct measurement of available sediment in the environment is not common; often an indirect method is employed for the collection of a representative sample at a small scale, which could be scale up to a catchment scale for practical purposes. Therefore, the right choice of a reliable collection equipment and technique that will ensure dependable sample representation is vital in an urban pollution appraisal. The choice of unreliable buildup sampling will have a profound impact on the physicochemical, chemical and bioaccumulation investigations, which could result in flawed conclusion with catastrophic consequences. This study evaluated the weighted advantages of using water as a filter medium on one hand, and the traditional generic filter system on the other for urban dry weather buildup sampling. To ensure objective evaluation, both systems were weighted for bias, comparability, and representativeness. The water-filter recovery efficiency on common particle sizes found in urban roads shows a superior retention efficiency of 99% at particle sizes larger than 2360µm and an overall average of 96%. The major losses were recorded on particle sizes of 1180µm and those lower than 75µm. In all particles sizes range, the entrapment efficiency of the water-filter medium system is higher than regenerative-air sediment collectors, but is comparative with an industrial generic filter system..