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How to Measure Ground Water Tables in an Artesian Aquifer

Groundwater occurs in aquifers close to the Earth's surface, due to spaces between rock particles. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, artesian aquifers are ground water between layers of rock, such as limestone or shale, usually under pressure. Artesian pressure causes the water to rise above the aquifer when tapped. In order to measure artesian aquifer ground water tables, the aquifer must already be tapped, or drilled. Once the aquifer is accessed, the water table can be measured through the well.

Things You'll Need

Metal measuring tape (100 feet)
Lead weight
Carpenter's chalk

Instructions

- 1
  Assign an approximate depth to the well, which comes from prior knowledge of the artesian well being measured. Without this general measurement, using the entire length of measuring tape may be necessary, making the process more involved than necessary.
- 2
  Attach a lead weight to the end of a 100-foot length of steel measuring tape. As metal measuring tapes of this length are often designed for this purpose, attach the weight to the clip found at the end of the tape.
- 3
  Cover the tape with carpenter's chalk. Carpenter's chalk, available at hardware stores, comes in cake form and marks easily. Cover the tape with carpenter's chalk from the end of the tape, up to about 20 feet, or where you believe the tape will hit the groundwater table.
- 4
  Lower the tape into the well until you believe water is reached. At this point, find a measuring point at ground surface. Be sure to make this point an even number, extending the tape further into the well to reach it. Write this ground-level down.
- 5
  Reel in the steel measuring tape until the chalk is reached. Look for the point where the chalked tape meets the water point. Write this measurement down.
- 6
  Subtract the water level measurement on the tape's chalked end from the ground-level measurement. If water is hit at 10 feet, and the ground level measurement is 60 feet, the artesian aquifer's ground-water table measurement is 50 feet.

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