What country are you in?
The IF transformer/coil is a 42IF110-RC from Mouser, the transistor is a NPN 2N3904.
This could be wired on a small generic PCB.
I can not invent your project for you but a single RF oscillator that is modulated by a audio tone is what I would start with to monitor signal strength passing through water. Distilled water would load down the oscillator much less than conductive water.
Maybe monitor the current flow at the emitter of the transistor, place a meter between R3 and ground.
Christopher
Edit: Maybe I misunderstand what you mean by one wire and you mean one cable with two or three conductors.