diff --git a/components/esm/loadcell.cpp b/components/esm/loadcell.cpp
index 80a0f3e5a..6bc12c5cb 100644
--- a/components/esm/loadcell.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/loadcell.cpp
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@ void Cell::load(ESMReader &esm)
     {
         // Interior cells
 
-        if (esm.isNextSub("INTV") || esm.isNextSub("WHGT"))
-            esm.getHT(water);
+        esm.getHNT(water, "WHGT", 4);
 
         // Quasi-exterior cells have a region (which determines the
         // weather), pure interior cells have ambient lighting
diff --git a/components/esm/loadcell.hpp b/components/esm/loadcell.hpp
index 671f702ca..57d495e94 100644
--- a/components/esm/loadcell.hpp
+++ b/components/esm/loadcell.hpp
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ struct Cell
   ESM_Context context; // File position
   DATAstruct data;
   AMBIstruct ambi;
-  int water; // Water level
+  float water; // Water level
   int mapColor;
 
   void load(ESMReader &esm);