Here’s a question most people have never thought about: When was the last time you considered where your drinking water actually comes from?
Not the tap. Not the water bottle on your desk. Instead, we mean the original source. Specifically, the water that exists deep beneath the ground you walk on every single day.

If you’re like most people, the honest answer is: never. And that’s exactly why Groundwater Awareness Week 2026 exists.
Running March 8-14, 2026, this annual national observance is more than just a reminder to check your well. In fact, it’s a wake-up call about one of the most overlooked environmental crises happening right now. Here in Texas, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

At CRG Texas Environmental Services, we work with groundwater every day. We test it, assess it, and when things go wrong, we help remediate it. Every single year, Groundwater Awareness Week reminds us why this work matters so much. Consequently, it also reminds us why more people need to be paying attention.

So What Is Groundwater Awareness Week 2026, Exactly?

Groundwater Awareness Week was established in 1999 by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA). Its goal is to shine a spotlight on the responsible development, management, and protection of groundwater resources across the country.

Think of it as a yearly nudge – for homeowners, businesses, policymakers, and communities – to take a hard look at the water that exists underground and ask: Are we taking care of it?
Each year, hundreds of communities, schools, nonprofit organizations, and environmental firms (like us) participate by spreading the word, hosting events, and encouraging people to take action.

For Groundwater Awareness Week 2026, the NGWA is placing a special emphasis on growing the groundwater workforce. They note over 135,000 open positions in geoscience-related fields nationwide. The groundwater industry isn’t just growing; it’s urgent.

But before we talk solutions, let’s talk about why there’s a problem in the first place.

Why Groundwater Matters More Than Most People Realize

Here’s a stat that tends to stop people in their tracks: groundwater accounts for roughly 99% of all unfrozen fresh water on Earth. Not rivers. Not lakes. Not reservoirs. Instead, it’s the water underground.

It’s the invisible foundation of our entire water system. In the United States, an estimated 145 million Americans get their tap water from a groundwater source. That’s nearly half the country.

Texas is no exception. Our state sits on top of a network of major and minor aquifers. The most famous is the Ogallala Aquifer.This aquifer stretches across more than 450,000 square kilometers through Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and several other states. The Ogallala alone holds over 3,000 cubic kilometers of groundwater. Importantly, it has been the lifeblood of agriculture, ranching, and communities across the Southern Plains for generations.

Nationwide, the U.S. uses more than 82 billion gallons of fresh groundwater per day for public water supply, private wells, agriculture, livestock, manufacturing, and more.
“This isn’t someone else’s problem. If you live in Texas, groundwater is your problem.”

Yet for most people, groundwater is completely out of sight and out of mind. It doesn’t make headlines the way a river flood does. You can’t see it degrading from your window. By the time a groundwater problem becomes obvious, it’s often already serious – and expensive.

The Threats Are Real – And They’re Growing

This is where things get uncomfortable. The water underground is under threat from multiple directions at once, and Texas is ground zero for several of them.

Industrial and Oil Field Contamination

Texas is the nation’s largest oil and gas producer. However, that industrial legacy comes with environmental consequences. A 2020 study found that groundwater quality in the Permian Basin degraded measurably between 1992 and 2019. This decline is tied directly to oilfield operations and produced water disposal practices.

We’re not talking about rare, isolated incidents. In 2024 alone, Texas agencies documented nearly 2,750 active groundwater contamination cases statewide. That number represents real communities, real water sources, and real people whose water has been compromised.

Think about what that means for a rancher in West Texas who’s been drinking well water for 30 years without ever testing it. The contamination may have been building slowly for years, completely invisible, with no taste or odor to tip him off. That’s one of the most unsettling things about groundwater contamination. Often, you don’t know until it’s already a serious problem.

Orphan Wells: A Silent, Widespread Risk

Here’s one that most people – even those who follow environmental news closely – haven’t heard much about: orphan wells.

Texas has tens of thousands of orphaned, unplugged oil and gas wells scattered across the state. These are wells that were drilled and then abandoned without being properly sealed. Over time, they act like open conduits. This allows surface contaminants, brines, and industrial fluids to migrate directly into the groundwater below.

The Gulf Coast aquifer system – which runs from Texas all the way to the Florida Panhandle – has been identified as particularly susceptible to this kind of contamination. Between 1993 and 2008 alone, orphan wells were responsible for 30 documented groundwater contamination incidents in Texas. The problem has only grown since then. These aren’t dramatic spills. Instead, they’re slow, quiet leaks that can go undetected for years. This is exactly what makes them so dangerous.

PFAS and Emerging Chemical Contaminants

If you’ve been following environmental news at all, you’ve probably heard the acronym PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment, PFAS compounds have been used in everything from non-stick cookware to firefighting foam. They’ve now made their way into groundwater supplies across the country. Estimates suggest that between 71 and 95 million people in the contiguous United States may be relying on groundwater that contains detectable PFAS concentrations for their drinking water.

PFAS contamination is particularly insidious because standard water treatment doesn’t remove it. The health effects – including links to certain cancers, thyroid disease, and immune system disruption – can take years or even decades to manifest. Testing for PFAS requires specialized laboratory analysis. That’s something CRG Texas can help coordinate.

Aging Wells and Poor Maintenance

It’s not just industrial activity driving the problem. A huge, underreported source of groundwater contamination is simply: neglected private wells.Common contamination pathways include poor well construction, aging infrastructure, negligent maintenance, and faulty placement near septic systems. Millions of private well owners across the country have never tested their water. Many don’t know when their well was last inspected, or even how old it is.

We’ve worked with property owners who bought land and inherited a well they assumed was fine.

No records. No inspection. No testing. And in some cases, the water had been compromised for years. The good news? These are problems that can be caught early – but only if you’re actually looking.

What Groundwater Awareness Week 2026 Is Asking Us to Do

Here’s the empowering part of the story: awareness is the first and most important step. The fact that you’re reading this means you’re already ahead of most people.
Groundwater Awareness Week is ultimately a call to action – not just for environmental professionals, but for anyone who uses water (which is everyone). Here’s what the NGWA and organizations like CRG Texas encourage during this week and throughout the year:

• Test your well water annually – even if it looks and tastes fine. Many contaminants are colorless, odorless, and tasteless.
• Know your aquifer. Find out which groundwater source your property relies on and understand its known risks.
• Schedule a professional well inspection if you haven’t had one in the past year.
• Support local groundwater protection policies and stay informed about contamination events in your area.
• Share this information. Most people have no idea how much of their daily life depends on clean groundwater.

Sharing this blog during Groundwater Awareness Week 2026 is genuinely one of the most impactful things you can do. Most contamination problems persist because people simply don’t know they exist.

How CRG Texas Environmental Services Can Help

At CRG Texas Environmental Services, groundwater protection isn’t just a service we offer. Instead, it’s a core part of our mission. We’re a Texas-based team of licensed environmental scientists and consultants. We have deep experience in groundwater assessment, testing, and remediation across the state.

Whether you’re a property owner with concerns about your well, a business navigating regulatory compliance, or a developer dealing with a contaminated site, we have the tools and expertise to help. Our groundwater-related services include:

• Groundwater sampling and laboratory testing (including PFAS analysis)
• Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments
• Contamination source identification and delineation
• Remediation planning and oversight
• Regulatory reporting and agency coordination

We work with clients across Texas – from urban commercial properties to rural agricultural land – and we understand the unique groundwater challenges that come with operating in this state.
Groundwater problems rarely fix themselves. But caught early, most of them are very manageable. The key is knowing what you’re dealing with.

The Bottom Line

Groundwater Awareness Week 2026 exists because most people never think about the water beneath their feet – until something goes wrong. By then, the cleanup is costly, the health risks are real, and the damage to aquifers that took thousands of years to fill can take decades to reverse.

The good news is that awareness is powerful. Testing your water, understanding your risks, and supporting groundwater protection policies all make a genuine difference. When problems do arise, having an experienced environmental team in your corner makes all the difference.
If you have questions about your groundwater, a site you’re developing, or a contamination concern you’ve been putting off, National Groundwater Awareness Week 2026 is the perfect time to act.

Contact CRG Texas Environmental Services today to schedule a groundwater assessment or consultation.
Because clean water isn’t something you want to take for granted.