peilstok

Peilstok is a measuring rod used to gauge the level or depth of a liquid or granular material in a container, vessel, well, or open water. The word derives from Dutch peil meaning “level” and stok meaning “stick.” Traditional peilstokken are long, rigid rods made of wood or metal with calibrated marks. A weight at the end or a guiding line may help in reaching the bottom, and the user reads the level where the liquid surface aligns with a mark on the rod. Variants include dipsticks for tanks and wells, as well as sounding rods used in maritime and engineering contexts to determine depth.

In practical use, a peilstok is lowered into the space to be measured until contact with the bottom or opposite surface occurs, after which the reading on the markings provides the depth or level. It is commonly used in wells to check groundwater level, in irrigation ditches to monitor water depth, in fuel and oil tanks as a simple level check, and in hydrological surveys. In maritime and civil engineering settings, peilstokken serve as simple, portable tools for quick field readings when electronic sensors are unavailable or impractical.

Modern facilities may replace manual peilstokken with electronic level sensors, such as floats, pressure transmitters, or ultrasonic devices. However, the peilstok remains a low-cost, robust option for hand measurements, field verification, and emergency backup. The term is primarily used in Dutch-speaking regions, with related equivalents in other Germanic languages such as Peilstock.