Survey of Water Quality Sampling Programs in Texas
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is the only state agency mandated to monitor statewide ambient groundwater quality, however numerous other agencies collect data for their own purposes. In 2013, in an effort to provide more guidance to well owners in the state who depend on their well water for drinking purposes, the TWDB partnered with the Bureau of Economic Geology to conduct a survey of water quality data-collection programs administered by other agencies in Texas. In 2023, the Texas Groundwater Protection Committee conducted a follow up survey to update the 2013 data, and to identify potential data gaps, monitoring needs, and opportunities for collaboration. Sampling programs are hardly a one-size-fits-all proposition and are geared toward specific customers and concerns. Whether these programs are driven by regulatory, scientific research, or determination of basic health issues, each contributes to the overall and specific knowledge necessary to characterize groundwater and its relative drinkability and usability.
Summary Table
| Affiliation | Contact | Active WQ Program | URL | Available on Request? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Texas, Bureau or Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences | Bridget Scanlon | Not currently, but we may in 2024 | Partially | |
| Brush Country GCD | Luis "Louie" Pena | Yes | Yes | |
| TCEQ Public Water System Supervision Program | James LaManna | Yes | Drinking Water Watch | Yes |
| Pecan Valley GCD | Cindy Parma | Not currently, but we may in 2024 | Partially | |
| TCEQ Immunoassay screening | Alan Cherepon | Yes | Partially | |
| Upper Trinity GCD | Blaine Hicks | Yes | ||
| Rolling Plains GCD | Lynn Smith | Yes | Yes | |
| Texas Parks and Wildlife | Heather Johnson | No | ||
| C-L BBASC, and Reg P WPG | Jack Maloney | No | Partially | |
| Private Rancher | Yes | Partially | ||
| TCEQ Dry Cleaner Remediation Program | Richard Peltier | Yes | Partially | |
| Uvalde County UWCD | Vic Hilderbran | No | ||
| Kenedy County GCD | Andy Garza | Yes | Yes | |
| Panhandle GCD | Ashley Ausbrooks | Yes | Yes | |
| City of Houston Public Works | Jamie Shakar | No | ||
| Mustang SUD | Helena Carroll | No | ||
| Texas A&M PhD Candidate | Laura Rodriguez | Not currently, but we may in 2024 | Partially | |
| Duval County GCD | Jorge "George" Gonzalez | Yes | Partially | |
| TCEQ/Surface Water Quality Monitoring (SWQM) | Robin Cypher | Yes | Surface Water Quality Data Viewer | Yes |
| Fayette County GCD Volunteer Monitoring | David A. Van Dresar | Yes | Yes | |
| Fayette County GCD Multi-Year County-Wide Groundwater Quality Study | David A. Van Dresar | Yes | Yes | |
| North Plains GCD | Odell Ward | Yes | Yes | |
| Texas A&M University | Yina Liu | No | ||
| Graphic Packaging International | Bryce Green | Yes | Yes | |
| Post Oak Savannah GCD | Gregory Perry | No | ||
| Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer CD Antioch Cave Best Management Project | Justin Camp | Yes | Yes | |
| Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer CD Magellan Pipeline Annual Sampling for hydrocarbons | Justin Camp | Yes | Yes | |
| USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service | Kyle Wright | No | ||
| Austin Water (City of Austin) Balcones Canyonlands Preserve Program | Nico Hauwert | Yes | Yes | |
| Gonzales County UWCD | Laura Martin | Yes | Yes | |
| Texas Water Resources Institute | Rosario Sanchez | Not currently, but we may in 2024 | Partially | |
| U.S. Geological Survey | Patty Ging | Yes | USGS Water Data for the Nation | Partially |
| Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board | TJ Helton | Not currently, but we may in 2024 | Partially | |
| Real-Edwards Conservation & Reclamation District | Tina Ashley | Yes | ||
| Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Texas Well Owner Network | Joel Pigg | Yes | Partially | |
| Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Thermal vulnerability for fishes in urbanizing, spring-influenced streams of the Edwards Plateau" | Carly Rotzler | Yes | Partially | |
| Texas Department of State Health Services | Eric Lawrence | No | ||
| Texas A&M University at Galveston | Dini Adyasari | Not currently, but we may in 2024 | Yes | |
| The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment's Texas Stream Team | Jenna Walker | Yes | Yes | |
| The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment's Groundwater/Surface Water Interaction | Jenna Walker | Yes | Yes | |
| Edwards Aquifer Authority | Brent Doty | Yes | Yes | |
| Texas Water Development Board Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring | Rebecca Storms | Yes | TWDB Groundwater Database | Yes |
| Texas Water Development Board Springs Monitoring Program | Rebecca Storms | Yes | TWDB Groundwater Database | Yes |
| Texas Department of Agriculture | David Villarreal | No |
Groundwater Quality Survey Recommendations
What is the recommended dataset format and availability?
- Hard copy datasets of groundwater quality monitoring information should be migrated to an electronic format, with Microsoft Excel being a popular and user-friendly application.
- Electronic datasets should be made publicly available with any sensitive information redacted.
- Submission of groundwater data to the TWDB for integration into their publicly available Groundwater Database is strongly encouraged.
From what aquifers should water quality samples be collected?
- Continue groundwater quality monitoring in all of the state’s major and minor aquifers.
- Expand sampling of karst and minor aquifers.
For what constituent categories should the groundwater be analyzed?
- Continue to collect field parameters, nutrient, and inorganic data from all of the state’s major and minor aquifers.
- Expand collection efforts of E. coli, atrazine, and PFAS data in all of the state's major and minor aquifers.
What are some recommendations for overcoming obstacles to groundwater sampling.
The number one reason given for not sampling or not doing more sampling was money and resources, so these recommendations focus on that.
- Look for funding opportunities from legislative recommendations and requests, or grant applications to provide for equipment, staff, analyses, and training.
- Investigate how to negotiate analyses costs with laboratories (i.e., economy of scale).
- Entities in the state with groundwater quality monitoring programs should collaborate and explore cost-sharing opportunities and resources.
Survey Documents
- Groundwater Quality Protection Through Monitoring White Paper (October 2024)
- 2023 Water quality data-collection programs survey responses
- 2023 Water quality data-collection programs survey summary
- 2023 Water quality data-collection programs blank survey form
- 2013 Water quality data-collection programs survey responses