Errors in level recorder data: Prevention and detection

Abstract

The occurrence of errors in water-level recorder data can be reduced by both prevention and detection with subsequent correction. For effective prevention, the error sources should be known; for effective detection, knowledge of error symptoms and their relationship with error sources is essential. The effectiveness of both error prevention and detection depends on field precautions, the quality and frequency of field checks and field-check reports, on the quality of equipment maintenance and, as far as detection-correction is concerned, on the sampling interval. Errors in the data should be detected by a computer program, not manually. A computer-produced error report and field-check reports are necessary for errors in the data to be corrected.