Deep well water sampling pumps
Deep Well Sampling Pumps
Reach 60 m (200 feet) and beyond. Purpose-built pumps for deep groundwater monitoring, well development, and compliance sampling – trusted by environmental professionals across North America and elsewhere around the world since 1985.
Built for sampling, not water supply
Most “deep well water pumps” on the market are built to deliver volume – household supply, irrigation, livestock. The pumps on this page do the opposite. Their job is to bring up a small amount of water that faithfully represents what’s actually in the formation.
That calls for a different kind of machine: a pump that actually lifts the water to surface, materials that don’t leach into the sample, and a slim profile that fits 5 cm (2 inch) monitoring well and smaller. Every pump on this page is built around those priorities. And the deeper the well, the fewer options there are to actually get a sample.
Why depth changes everything in groundwater sampling
The deeper the well, the more challenging the situation. Three constraints define the problem:
Lift and tubing friction. As the tubing length is increased, friction losses and the weight of the water column increase. Waterra inertial pumps are designed around the physics of various tubing lengths, with check valve geometry and tubing materials matched to specific depth ranges.
Decontamination and cross-contamination risk. Cross contamination is a concern in sampling groundwater. Furthermore, the decontamination process is tedious, expensive, needs to be verified and then there is the whole issue of how to handle the decontamination liquid. The Waterra pump system is relatively inexpensive so therefore many/most field programs are designed and budgeted to dedicate a system to each well eliminating these two factors.
Well diameter at depth. Deep monitoring wells are often 5 cm (2 inch) internal diameter. That rules out most large-bore submersibles and forces pump design to a slim profile that can pass through tight space without binding.
Waterra deep well sampling pumps at a glance
| Pump | Type | Max depth | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Flow System | Waterra Pump System / Inertial | 60 m (200 feet) but 90 M (300 feet) possible in some circumstances | Deepest 2″+ wells, well development, high-yield purge and sampling |
| Standard Flow System | Waterra Pump System / Inertial | 60 m (200 feet) but 90 M (300 feet) possible in some circumstances | Routine 2″ monitoring well purging and sampling |
| Low Flow System | Waterra Pump System / Inertial | 30 m (100 feet) | Small-diameter / piezometer wells |
| Submersible WP90 | 12V submersible | 27 m (90 feet) | Battery-powered, true submersible |
Featured pumps
Waterra Pump High Flow System
60 m (200 feet) but up to 90 m (300 feet) in special applications
Waterra’s deepest-rated inertial system and the anchor of the High Flow line. The foot-valve and high-flow tubing combination is engineered to achieve purge volumes in deep wells, and the system pairs natively with the Power Pump Pro and the Hydrolift actuator for hands-free operation on long sampling days. Used worldwide on landfill perimeter networks, contaminant plume investigations, and deep municipal monitoring programs.
Best for: Deep 5 cm (2 inch) and larger monitoring wells where well development and/or high flow rates are desired.
Waterra Pump Standard Flow System
60 m (200 feet) but up to 90 m (300 feet) in special applications
The workhorse of Waterra’s catalog. The Standard Flow System is the most cost-effective inertial pump for routine sampling in 5 cm (2 inch) monitoring wells at moderate-to-deep depths. Usually used in conjunction with a Hydrolift Tubing actuator. Field-tested across many thousands of compliance monitoring programs for over 40 years.
Best for: Routine sampling rounds in 2-inch wells under 150 feet.
Submersible Groundwater Sampling Pump (WP90)
12V submersible • 27 m (90 ft) (WP60: 18 m (60 feet), WP40: 12 m (40 feet)
The only true submersible in the Waterra catalog, the WP-12V series runs off a standard 12-volt battery and supports low-flow / micro-purge protocols. Its slim profile fits 2-inch wells, and the WP90 reaches 27 m (90 feet). A good fit when an inertial system isn’t the right tool.
Best for: Low-flow sampling, sites where electrical pumps are preferred, and wells under 27 m (90 feet).
How to choose the right deep well sampling pump
Four questions get you to the right pump.
- What is the depth to water?
- Under 30 m (100 feet) → Standard Flow, Low Flow, or Submersible WP60/WP90
- 30 to 45 m (100 – 150 feet) → Standard Flow System
- 45 to 60 m (150 – 200 feet) → Standard and High Flow System – requires Hydrolift or Power Pump Pro
- 60 m + (200+ feet) → Standard or High Flow System depending on well specifics- requires Power Pump Pro or Hydrolift
- What’s your well diameter?
- 2.5 cm (1 inch) piezometer → Low Flow or Micro Flow System
- 5 cm (2 inch) monitoring well → Low, Standard Flow and High Flow, or WP-12V series
- 10 cm (4 inch) → High Flow recommended for purge volume and depth
- What’s your sampling protocol?
- Purge-and-grab, high volume → High Flow or Standard Flow
- Low-flow / micro-purge → Submersible WP-12V series or Low Flow with controlled actuation
- Well development → High Flow System with Surge Block
- What power do you have on site?
- None / remote site → Inertial systems (manual) or Power Pump Pro for deep wells
- 12V battery → Submersible WP-12V
- AC power available → Hydrolift
Still not sure? Talk to a Waterra specialist →
Trusted by groundwater professionals since 1985
Waterra invented the modern inertial sampling pump and has spent four decades refining it. Our pumps are used in EPA, ASTM, and ISO-aligned sampling programs across North America and worldwide. Every system on this page is:
- Field-proven in active compliance and assessment programs
- Typically Dedicated to wells to avoid Deconning and Cross contamination risk
- Backed by parts and service – replaceable foot valves, tubing, and actuator components keep systems in the field for years
- Made in North America with distribution in many places around the world
Where Waterra deep well pumps are used
- Phase II Environmental Site Assessments – deep monitoring wells around historic industrial, commercial, and fueling sites
- Landfill and brownfield monitoring – perimeter and downgradient compliance wells, often at depth
- Mining and tailings monitoring – deep aquifer characterization and long-term compliance networks
- PFAS and emerging contaminants sampling – protocols that demand decon-friendly, low-cross-contamination equipment
- Municipal source-water protection – monitoring around drinking water aquifers
- Aquifer characterization and well development – pre-sampling purge and development of new wells
Frequently Asked Questions
The High Flow System is rated to 60 m (200 feet) and has been deployed to 300 feet (90 m) in special applications. For depths beyond that, contact a Waterra specialist to discuss custom configurations.
Yes. The Waterra Standard and High Flow systems are best suited to work in 5 cm (2 inch) and larger casings. The High Flow System is probably best especially in deep wells where tubing stiffness is an advantage.
An inertial pump uses a one-way foot valve and tubing oscillation – manual or powered – to lift water. In shallow applications it can be operated by hand and has no moving electrical parts at depth. A submersible sampling pump (like the Waterra WP-12V series) is an electric pump lowered into the well, powered from the surface. Inertial pumps generally reach deeper but submersibles have a fixed intake point and offer steadier flow rates for low-flow protocols.
No, but it helps. The Standard and High Flow Systems can be operated manually at shallower depths. The Hydrolift becomes valuable on deep wells where the oscillating weight becomes very difficult and tiring to lift repeatedly by hand.
Yes. The Submersible WP-12V series is designed for low-flow protocols,but the Waterra pump systems are less well suited as they do not offer a fixed inlet and do not offer a continuous flow for sampling.
Not really. Waterra pumps are designed for environmental sampling and are not designed, rated, or supported as continuous pumping systems. For residential deep well water pumps, contact a domestic well services supplier.
Use dedicated tubing and foot valves in each per well and that avoids the whole cross contamination risk and avoid the tedious messy decontamination operation. The inexpensive nature of the Waterra Pump System more than compensates for the cost of decontamination, field blanks to ensure it is cleaned and disposal of decontamination liquids.
Get the right pump for your next deep well project
You don’t need to guess. Send us your depth-to-water, well diameter, and sampling protocol, and we’ll spec a system in 24 hours.
