National Ground Water Association

NGWA is a community of groundwater professionals working together to advance groundwater knowledge and the success of our members through education and outreach; advocacy; cooperation and information exchange; and enhancement of professional practices.

Our vision

NGWA's vision is to be the leading groundwater association advocating the responsible development, management, and use of water.

Our goals

• NGWA and its members will use its outstanding scientific and technical leadership, knowledge, and resources to pursue innovation, model best practices, and improve the business climate for the groundwater industry.
• NGWA will be a credible, valued resource on significant and timely issues that impact the groundwater industry and public access to safe, sustainable groundwater.
• Our community will grow and benefit from the participation of all groundwater professionals.

• Through NGWA’s efforts, the public will be confident there is a sustainable groundwater resource for domestic, municipal, industrial, ecological, and agricultural uses.

Our values

• We believe the whole of NGWA is greater than the sum of its parts.
• We share a commitment to the informed, responsible, and sustainable use of groundwater.
• We are a community of professionals who value diverse perspectives, and sharing and learning from experience and research.
• We are responsive to our members’ needs and interests.

Membership in NGWA

NGWA has four​ membership divisions — contractors, scientists and engineers, manufacturers, and suppliers; others with an interest in groundwater, but who are not employed in one of these four categories, may join as an associate.

Board of directors

• National board has 19 voting members
• Each membership division has an oversight board
• Delegates from the general membership elect some directors and modify the NGWA Code of Regulations

Affiliated organizations

• Affiliated organizations — 44
• NGWA maintains State Center for Groundwater Policy
• NGWA maintains Resource Center for Association Management for state association leaders
• NGWA conducts an annual Affiliate Organizations Peer-to-Peer Meeting during Groundwater Week

Domestic memorandums of understanding

• Association of American State Geologists
• Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society
• Geothermal Energy Organization
• International Ground Source Heat Pump Association
• Irrigation Association
• National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association
• New England Geothermal Professional Association Inc.
• One Water Management​

International memorandums of understanding

• Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners & Practitioners (AWDROP) of Nigeria
• Australian Drilling Industry Association
• Borehole Drillers Association of Nigeria
• Borehole Water Association of Southern Africa
• Brazilian Ground Water Association (Associacao Brasileira de Aguas Subterraneas)
• China Engineering Center Partnership for Contaminated Site Remediation
• Colombian Association of Hydrogeologists​ (Asociación Colombiana de Hidrogeólogos)​
• European Ground Source Heat Pump Association
• Finnish Well Drillers Association (Finland)
• Geological Society of London
  
• Groundwater Association of Botswana
• Industrial Society of Well Drilling in Taiwan Area
• International Association of Hydrogeologists​
• International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre
• Japanese Association of Groundwater Hydrology​
• Korea Ground Water Association
• Mexican Hydrogeology Association (Asociacion Geohidrologica Mexicana)​
• ​​National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training
• ​​​National Hydrogeology and Water Well Association of Italy (Associazione Nationale Idrogeologia Pozzi Acqua)
• New Zealand Drillers Federation
• Taiwan Association of Soil and Groundwater Environmental Protection
• Venezuelan Association of the Ground Water Industry (Asociacion Venezolana de la Industria de las Aguas Subterraneas)

Memberships 

• Advisory Committee on Water Information
• American Geosciences Institute
• American National Standards Institute
• Coalition for National Science Funding
  
• Geological Society of America
• Global Water Partnership
• Groundwater Foundation
• Groundwater Management Districts Association​
• International Union of Geological Sciences
• Source Water Collaborative
• U.S. Water Alliance
• U.S. Water Partnership
  
• WaterSense (U.S. EPA program)
• Water Systems Council.

In the past several years, NGWA has cooperated with more than 200 organizations worldwide.

Foundation

• Conducts annual Henry Darcy Distinguished Lecture Series in Groundwater Science at universities and colleges around the world (since 1986)
• Conducts annual William A. McEllhiney Distinguished Lecture Series in Water Well Technology (since 2000)
• Maintains the Virtual Museum of Groundwater History (since 2002)
• Awards undergraduate scholarships (since 1975)
• Awards research grants (since 2006)
• Awards humanitarian assistance grants for potable groundwater supply in developing nations (since 2005)
• Funded the public informational study, 'Trends in the U.S. Marketplace for Individually Owned Private Wells.'​