Membership Awards

Download the NGWA Awards of Excellence and Sectional Awards Nomination Form (PDF).

NGWA Awards of Excellence represent the highest quality in standards and business practices. Award recipients are recognized for outstanding contributions through service, innovation, research, safety, and outstanding projects of scientific and technological importance affecting the growth and well-being of the groundwater industry.

• Ross L. Oliver Award — established in honor of Ross L. Oliver by his family, this is the most prestigious award given by NGWA. It is presented to a member who has made outstanding contributions to the groundwater industry. View past award recipients.
• M. King Hubbert Award — presented to a person who has made a major science or engineering contribution to the groundwater industry through research, technical papers, teaching, and practical applications. View past award recipients.
• Robert Storm Intersectional Cooperation Award — presented to a person or team who, through their activities or written works, contributes to promoting collaboration, enhancing cooperation, and fostering community among all groundwater professionals, and to advancing the mutual interests of all those interested in communicating the importance of the Earth’s water resources. View past award recipients.
• Life Member Award — presented to retired members, or members of retirement age, who have contributed a special service in the furtherance of the groundwater industry or to NGWA. Life members selected from the active membership shall retain all the privileges of an active member, but are exempt from membership fees. View past award recipients.
• Honorary Member Award — presented to persons of eminence from outside of the groundwater industry who have contributed some special service to the industry or to NGWA. View past award recipients.
• Technology Award — presented to a person who has made a major contribution to the groundwater industry in the development of ideas, tools, and equipment; techniques of well construction; exemplary service to coworkers throughout the industry in sharing these developments; and/or performing service for the protection of the groundwater resource and the consuming public. View past award recipients.
• Individual Safety Advocate Award — recognizes an individual who has made a contribution to promote, improve, maintain, and enhance safety in daily working operations. View past award recipients.
• Equipment Design Award — presented to an individual or team for excellence in the design of equipment or a product that promotes safety as well as efficiency and ease of operation. View past award recipients.
• Special Recognition Award — presented to an individual or organization that demonstrates dedication, service, and commitment to the groundwater industry and community through involvement and achievement on a local or regional level. View past award recipients.
• Groundwater Protector Award — recognizes people in government, industry, and the private sector for their public service efforts in conjunction with groundwater conservation and protection. (Please note that recipients for this award are selected by the NGWA Government Affairs Committee.) View past award recipients.
• Standard Bearer Award — presented to an outstanding volunteer involved in the legislative process on behalf of NGWA and its initiatives. (Please note that recipients for this award are selected by the NGWA Government Affairs Committee.) View past award recipients.

Download the NGWA Outstanding Groundwater Project Awards Nomination Form (PDF).

The Outstanding Groundwater Project Awards recognize member innovation and contributions affecting groundwater supply, protection, remediation, and awareness.

• Groundwater Supply Award — recognizes outstanding science, engineering, and/or contractor innovation in the area of supplying groundwater. View past award recipients.
• Groundwater Protection Award — recognizes outstanding science, engineering, and/or innovation in the area of protecting groundwater. View past award recipients.
• Groundwater Remediation Award​ — recognizes outstanding science, engineering, and/or innovation in the area of remediating groundwater. View past award recipients.
• Groundwater Awareness Award​ — recognizes outstanding and innovative groundwater public awareness/public relations programs, projects, and campaigns that resulted in recent significant positive change. View past award recipients.

Download the NGWA Awards of Excellence and Sectional Awards Nomination Form (PDF).

NGWA sectional awards are presented to those who have made outstanding contributions to the Manufacturers Section, Suppliers Section, and the Scientists and Engineers Section.

• John Hem Award for Excellence in Science & Engineering — presented in recognition of a significant, recent (within the past five years) scientific or engineering contribution to the understanding of groundwater. The award is presented annually for a significant contribution to either a single publication or a body of works. View past award recipients.
• Keith E. Anderson Award (scientists and engineers) — acknowledges outstanding contributions made to NGWA. View past award recipients.
• Manufacturers Section Special Recognition Award — given as a means of “honoring an individual’s accomplishments in the groundwater manufacturing industry including, but not limited to, industry improvements, special education contributions, and patents and technology.” View past award recipients.
• Supplier of the Year Award​​ — given as a means to honor an individual or individual’s dedication to the groundwater distribution channel including, but not limited to, industry or channel improvements, special education contributions, and or industry and market service dedication, longevity, and excellence. The awardee shall be an employee or former employee of a current member of NGWA. View past recipients.

Download the NGWA Fellow Designation Nomination Form (PDF).

The Fellow designation represents recognition by a recipient’s peers and NGWA, of outstanding credentials, professional accomplishments, and a commitment to promoting the increased understanding of groundwater science and water well system technology.

NGWA members who receive the title “Fellow of the National Ground Water Association” have distinguished themselves through professional excellence, achievement, and integrity, and are viewed to be a positive, distinctive individual who is a true asset to the groundwater industry.

To be eligible for consideration and election to the NGWA Fellow designation, candidates shall have attained a consensus-agreed upon distinction and made consensus-agreed upon substantial contributions to the industry in one or more of the following categories:

• Water well technology
• Groundwater science/engineering
• The built environment of contractors and/or original equipment manufacturers
• The supply and distribution of equipment and other industry products.

Examples include: education and/or research; engineering design (including industry products or procedures); consulting and forensics; invention and original work; leadership on projects of unusual or important scope (recognized by consensus to have occurred much more frequently than once); sharing knowledge and contributions through outreach activities such as NGWA volunteering, mentoring, publications, oral presentation, and participative involvement in industry activities and public awareness efforts; and any other activities leading to the advancement of the arts and sciences of groundwater supply, protection, management and remediation, and of the built environment.

View the list of past NGWA Fellow designation recipients.