The Skinny on Water Level Indicators
If you’ve worked on a government task order as a project manager, you understand that approximately every 3 to 5 years, contracts change hands. Some of you have probably been fortunate (no sarcasm here, of course) to be responsible for taking over the contracts, including obtaining and organizing historical documentation from the incumbent. Perhaps you’ve had new sites that require low flow groundwater sampling. For those sites, you know that the well construction information is extremely important to provide to your field staff prior to mobilization. You pass along the data to your field tech and rest easy knowing that you’ve done your job well.
Yet when field tech Fred pulls up his F-150 to the first well at the new site, he realizes that although he has records of all of the wells being 2 inches in diameter, over half are much smaller. So on Day 1, poor field tech Fred has to pump as s…l…o…w… as he possibly can because his water level indicator probe is too fat to slip past his tubing, and he has no earthly idea if the water level is stable. Fred sits on his sample cooler, red-faced, with steam shooting from his ears because he realizes it’ll take 1.5 days to get another water level indicator shipped to him, and now he’s gonna miss the National Hot Dog Eating Competition on ESPN because he’ll STILL be sampling on Saturday. He then, not knowing that it was the historical data that was incorrect, mutters four letter words and your name (yes, in the same sentence) under his breath.
But fear not, you can prevent a situation like this. Here are a few water level indicators specifically designed for those hard to reach places, with a few important items to note. Click on the image of each model for a spec sheet with more information!
SOLINST MODEL 102 WATER LEVEL INDICATOR
Select either a 1/4-inch diameter probe or a 3/8-inch diameter probe. The coaxial cable is fitted with segmented weights for flexibility. Markings are laser etched. Nice! 
Approximate Cost:
100 ft - $345
200 ft - $385
300 ft - $445
Carrying bag not included (Boo).
GEOTECH ET PORTABLE WATER LEVEL METER
Comes with a 3/8-inch diameter probe (as an option), though the probe is not field serviceable. We’ve had great success with Geotech equipment, and customer service is outstanding. Their equipment is so durable, after placing your equipment safely in the bed of your truck, you could forget to close the tailgate, drag it 500 yards and through a swamp, and it would all still work (complete exaggeration, do not try in office/in field/at home unless you want to be called a complete moron by those who know you).
Approximate Cost:
100 ft - $550
200 ft - $670
300 ft - $795
Carrying bag not included. I mean, what is that about, Solinst and Geotech?! To me, this is like buying milk without a jug, chips without a bag, eggs without a carton, yogurt without a cup…
HERON WATER LEVEL INDICATORS
The Dipper-T
Wowzas – a 5-year warranty! Often, warranties are only a year or two! Geotech 
and Solinst take note: It comes with its own bag. There is an optional 3/8” probe (instead of the 5/8” size), but it is not submersible, which means you can only tag the top of the water, not submerge it under. Who the heck thought THAT was a good idea? Good thing there’s a warranty.
Approximate Cost:
100 ft - $571
200 ft - $680
300 ft - $818
The Little Dipper
3-year warranty! Lightweight, and easy to transport! Again, it comes with a 
handy dandy bag. Same problem as the Dipper-T regarding the smaller probe, and it is only 75 feet in length.
Approximate Cost: $422
Project managers, I hope that this list helps you navigate the world of water level indicators if you are in the market, and field techs…well, I hope you never miss watching a pint-size wonder stuff her face again.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Ben Franklin