Water Level

A water level meter takes a spot reading of depth to water; a datalogger records it continuously. ERE carries both. Solinst probe-and-tape meters include the Model 101 P7 laser-marked flat-tape meter, the economical 101B, the 101D for drawdown and the Model 102 with a 4 or 10 mm probe for narrow wells; the Model 104 Sonic measures acoustically from 3 to 600 m. Heron offers the dipper-T2, the Skinny Dipper, the dipper-Tough for landfill and remediation sites and the motorized LongLiner for wells up to 1,200 m. For LNAPL and DNAPL there are Solinst Model 122 interface meters.

ERE rents water level meters and dataloggers and services water level instruments.

Water level meter FAQ

Which water level meter do I need?

Start from the well. A standard 5/8 in. probe suits most monitoring wells; for small-diameter wells and piezometers, use a narrow probe such as the Solinst 102 (4 or 10 mm) or the Heron Skinny Dipper (6.5 mm). Pumping tests call for a drawdown meter such as the 101D or the dipper-T2, and very deep wells for the LongLiner or the 104 Sonic. Our water level meter guide compares the Solinst tiers.

How do I measure free product in a well?

With an interface meter: the Solinst Model 122 and 122M Mini detect both floating (LNAPL) and sinking (DNAPL) non-aqueous liquids and measure their level and thickness. See our interface meter guide.

Can I read temperature or conductivity at the same time?

Yes. The Solinst Model 201 profiles temperature with water level, the Model 107 TLC adds conductivity up to 80,000 µS/cm, and Heron makes the dipper-Temp and Conductivity+ meters.

Manual readings or a datalogger?

A manual meter answers "where is the water now"; a datalogger records level every few minutes for months, unattended. For continuous monitoring, see the Solinst Levelogger series and the Heron dipperLog Vented+, or a 4-20 mA pressure transmitter for SCADA and telemetry.

How do I measure well depth or casing?

Use a tag line or a depth indicator: the Solinst Model 103 tag line measures total depth and backfill levels during well construction, the Model 105 detects well casing and total depth with one probe, and the Heron dipper-Tag is a multipurpose tag line.