Water Level Monitoring Pressure TransducersuA Need for Industry-Wide Standards

There are currently no industry-wide standards for the calibration and specification of water-level monitoring pressure transducers. Consequently, specifications from different manufacturers are currently not directly comparable, and different branded sensors may not perform similarly under the same environmental conditions. This has been highlighted by the varied performance of 14 leading brands of pressure transducers under test conditions. In laboratory tests, transducers generally met product accuracy specifications, although temperature compensation was substandard in five absolute sensors. In a 99-day field test, accuracy was typically within around +/- 10 mm for lower range pressure sensors, which exceeded some product specifications. Furthermore, there was evidence for linear and curved forms of instrument drift. As a result of the diverse performance of the transducers, it is recommended that an industry-wide standard for calibration and specification is introduced. This would eliminate any uncertainty surrounding the current procedures and lead to more informed procurement by the user who would have a greater understanding of comparative instrument performance. Any new standard should also address sensor drift which is currently rarely cited in product specifications.