News

The California Ground Water Association (CGWA) hosted its Spring Education Event on April 8 at California State University, Fresno, bringing together water industry professionals from across the state for a full day of hands-on learning and networking.

The program featured coursework on topics, including well cleaning techniques, well destruction, and water treatment practices. Throughout the day, attendees also had the opportunity to collaborate with peers, exchange ideas, and engage directly with industry leaders and technical experts.

A highlight of the event was a guided tour of Fresno’s Water, Energy, and Technology Center (WET Center), a hub focused on advancing innovation and sustainability in the water and energy sectors. The WET Center supports emerging technologies and businesses by providing resources, testing capabilities, and industry expertise to help drive growth while promoting environmentally responsible solutions.

CGWA also has two events planned for later this year, including a summer program in San Diego this July and its annual conference in Reno this October.

Nearly 40 NGWA members participated in more than 60 meetings with Congressional offices, Senate staff, and key federal agencies March 24–25 at the 2026 NGWA Fly-In held in Washington, D.C.

Representing a broad cross-section of groundwater professionals, members traveled from across the United States — including as far as Alaska — as well as internationally, with participation from Nigeria.

A two-day event focused on advancing the organization’s federal policy priorities, the 60-plus conversations provided a platform for members to share real-world insights from the field, while reinforcing the important role groundwater plays in supporting communities, agriculture, energy production, and economic growth nationwide.

A central focus of this year’s Fly-In was advocating for the reinstatement of geothermal tax credits, which are essential to advancing clean energy development and supporting jobs across the groundwater and geothermal sectors. Members also emphasized the need for increased federal investment in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Ground-Water Monitoring Network, a resource for tracking water availability and quality.

Fly-In participants also highlighted NGWA’s newly released Data Center Position Paper, raising awareness around the increasing water demands tied to rapid data center expansion and the importance of responsible groundwater management.

During the event, NGWA members presented the 2025 Groundwater Protector Award to U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado). This recognition is awarded to government officials who have demonstrated strong leadership and a sustained commitment to advancing groundwater protection and policy. Hickenlooper was recognized for his ongoing support of water infrastructure, science-based policy, and efforts that elevate the importance of groundwater at the federal level.

“This year really demonstrated the strength and expertise of our membership and their commitment to giving NGWA a voice in D.C.,” said Ben Frech, NGWA’s government affairs manager.

“From geothermal energy to water monitoring and recharge, our members are on the front lines of the nation’s most pressing water challenges. These conversations help ensure that policymakers understand both the urgency of these issues and the practical solutions our industry is ready to deliver.”

Join us in Monterey at the Hilton Garden Inn on July 10th, 2025 for a day of education and conversation centered on Groundwater!

Speakers and Topics will include:

• Bill Peddler - Geophysical Tools Used in Construction of water wells
• Dave Schulenberg - PFAS and what the contractor and Association need to know.
• Dan Hedman - Water Wells 101
• Julie Haas - Bulletin 74 Update

Registration will be coming soon and announced to all contacts in the database!

Join us in Reno at the Atlantis for our annual event.

Monday September 29 through Wednesday October 1, 2025!

Registration information coming soon!

Looking for a great way to educate kids on what an aquifer is and how it works? Check out AwesomeAquifer.com for information on how to get your own Awesome Aquifer Kit!

There is an important date coming up on July 1, 2017 for those basins who have not formed a GSA. Please read carefully if you are on one of these areas.

Click here to read the Emergency Regulation for Implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Fact Sheet.

Click here to read the Bulletin 74 draft.

CGA members are active in the development of many of the standards that are required by state law. The Depart of Water Resources (DWR) is required to develop minimum standards for water wells, cathodic protection wells, and geothermal heat exchange wells (GHEW). Those standards are included in three separate documents. The current Well Construction Standards are found in Bulletin 74-81 approved in 1981. Bulletin 74-90 and GHEW standards, issued as draft documents in 1991 and 1999 respectively, have provided supplemental updates. 

CGA has long supported the updating of the standards and the combining of the three documents into one. It has been over 25 years since these standards have been updated. New technology, changes in construction techniques, and the passage of new groundwater legislation make the need for updating these standards a high priority to protect the State’s groundwater. 

Concerns in the groundwater industry and in local regulatory agencies about the urgency to update well construction standards led to the formation of a combined effort in 2010 by CGA, the California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health (CCDEH), and the California Environmental Health Association (CEHA). A three-year effort culminated in September of 2013 with a draft document that was submitted to DWR for review. As of this date, the DWR has still not issued an updated final document. 

CGA is requesting support from the California Legislature to force the DWR to finish their review of the draft Water Well Construction Standards and publish them in a timely manner, so that the eventual implementation can assure that the State’s groundwater resource can be protected as new groundwater management practices are developed.