A new tool to measure groundwater velocity

A completed WellSTIC sensor.

Groundwater velocity is inherently difficult to measure, especially at sites with limited infrastructure. Most modern groundwater velocity sensors are expensive ($1,110 to $18,000). More than that, they can only be installed in wells 2 inches in diameter or larger, which are expensive and time-consuming to install.

We’ve developed a new sensor system that can be installed in narrow wells (as small as 8 mm ID), like Solinst drive-point piezometers. These piezometer systems can be installed by hand (even in cobble!) and we’ve successfully used the system to measure groundwater velocity several sites. Read more about it in our recent paper in Water Resources Research!

Brittany Meyers
Brittany Meyers
MS student

Brittany graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2024 with a BS in Earth and Environmental Sciences with a minor in Professional Writing after receiving her AS in General Science from the College of Southern Nevada in 2022. She is currently enrolled in the UNLV Geoscience Graduate Program, pursuing a Master’s Degree in Geoscience with a focus on Hydrology. Her research is focused on phosphorus movement through the hyporheic zone of the Las Vegas Wash using field sampling and reactive transport modeling.