The hand drill tools for shallow soil investigation are much applied in the research on soil contamination. When you need to drill until you reach the groundwater level you can use an Edelman-, Riverside-, or gravel drill, shown below. For cohesive soils these drills can also be used to drill further than the groundwater table. The Riverside-, and gravel drill will give a more disturbed sample than the Edelman drill. If less smearing and disturbing is required, the sample should be taken by several  drillings decreasing in diameter or by the use of a tube while drilling. Sampling never exceeds 10 cm to 15 cm in height.  

Moreover the above mentioned drills are also used under de groundwater level after using mechanical drills then sampling continues with these hand drills.