Vibrating wire and electrical piezometers are used to measure soil pore pressure or water table level in boreholes. Applications include control of over-pressure in silt and clay soils, automatic measurement of ground water levels, measurement and control of permeability and monitoring uplift pressure and hydraulic gradients in dams and in natural or cut slopes. Output signals, suitable for transmission over long distances, are easily red and automated. The sensor is housed in a small stainless steel sealed body with a porous filter tip. Filters with different porosity are available to suit specific applications.