Groundwater Week 2025 Sets Multiple Records
The event set a record in exhibit space, highest attendance for an event not held in Las Vegas, and elected a woman as president for the first time.
By Mike Price
Groundwater Week 2025 was a record-setting event for the National Ground Water Association.
The annual conference set a record of 81,900 square feet of exhibit space; saw its highest attendance
ever for an event not held in Las Vegas, Nevada, with 4,712 attendees; and elected a woman as president for the first time in Association history.
The event, which co-located with the Irrigation Association for the fourth time, was held December 9-11 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Seth Kellogg, PG, became NGWA’s 2026 Board of Directors president at the Association’s Delegates Meeting.
A comprehensive lineup of nearly 40 workshops addressed industry challenges taught by industry experts and explored solutions for them across eight different topic areas.
“We’re grateful for another record-setting Groundwater Week that caps a successful and busy year for the industry,” says NGWA CEO Terry S. Morse, CAE, CIC. “We appreciate everyone taking time from their busy schedules to meet, learn, network, and be encouraged about the industry’s future.”
In the Exhibit Hall, 299 exhibitors displayed their commitment to continual innovations in the groundwater industry that prioritize safety, efficiency, and adaptability on the record-setting 81,900 square feet of exhibit space (see the article “Nine Must-See Advancements from Groundwater Week 2025”). The crowded Exhibit Hall featured 38 first-time exhibitors.
Seth Kellogg, PG, (left) became NGWA’s 2026 Board of Directors president at the Association’s Delegates Meeting after receiving the gavel from outgoing 2025 NGWA President Eric Macias. Kellogg is the first woman elected as president and will be the Association’s 75th president.
A comprehensive lineup of nearly 40 workshops addressed industry challenges taught by experts and explored solutions for them across eight different topic areas. Attendees came from 35 countries and all 50 states with numerous networking opportunities.
For the first time, a program track was created that crossed over into all four NGWA membership sections. Titled “Crossroad of Collaboration: Better Together in Action,” seven workshops addressed topics ranging from well development concepts and considerations to finding and mentoring your replacement to understanding well fouling in advance of well rehabilitation or failure.
Workforce development—the industry’s top concern—was explored in multiple workshops as was advancing women in the groundwater industry. A new marketing video on workforce development debuted at the Delegates Meeting. Click here to watch and share it.
The kickoff of the 2026 Darcy Lecture was presented by Steven P. Loheide II, Ph.D., on “Groundwater Recharge Regimes Are in Flux.” The Science & Engineering Forum featured numerous platform presentations on topics such as:
- Groundwater Modeling
- Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions
- Managed Aquifer Recharge
- PFAS
- Geophysical Techniques and Applications.
For the fourth consecutive year, a tour of the Exhibit Hall led by seasoned groundwater veterans took place explaining how the tools and machinery seen on the floor are used daily in the industry. An Exhibit Hall Tour hosted by leaders of the Advancing Women in Groundwater group also took place the following day.
NGWA Delegates Meeting
The NGWA Delegates Meeting saw four professionals elected to the NGWA Board of Directors:
- Contractors John Boyette Jr., CVCLD, of Boyette Well & Septic Inc. in Wilson, North Carolina, and Buddy Sebastian, CWD/PI, of Sebastian & Sons Well Drilling Inc. in Springport, Michigan, were elected to additional terms.
- William McPike of Geothermal Drilling Inc. in Huntsville, Texas, was elected to his first term.
- Kevin McGinnis of Cotey Chemical Corp. in Lubbock, Texas, was elected secretary of the Manufacturers Section Board of Directors, a position that also serves as a director on the NGWA Board of Directors.
The Scientists and Engineers Section membership elected Erica DiFilippo, Ph.D., of S.S. Papadopulos & Associates Inc. in Rockville, Maryland, and John Spencer, PG, of Geosyntec Consultants Inc. in Tampa, Florida, to second terms as sectional directors. Leslie Dumas, PE, D.WRE, CGWP, of Woodard & Curran Inc. in Frederick, Maryland, was elected to her first term as a sectional director.
NGWA President
Seth Kellogg, PG, a senior principal geologist at Geosyntec Consultants in Pennington, New Jersey, who was profiled by Water Well Journal in its November 2025 issue, will tackle the chief concern in the groundwater industry: workforce development.
As NGWA Board Director, Kellogg has worked with NGWA’s Workforce Development Task Force in recent years on tools, ideas, and strategies to recruit and retain individuals working in the industry. While the Task Force has lately discussed what the lifecycle of a groundwater career looks like, Kellogg envisions a five-year workforce development plan with measurable goals so her presidential successors can track progress.
“We want to make sure we’re good stewards of the Association’s resources,” says the 53-year-old who is NGWA’s 75th president.
At the “Roundtable: Advancing Women in Groundwater,” one of the seven workshops that fell under “Crossroad of Collaboration: Better Together in Action” sessions, Kellogg shared her approach to serving NGWA: She said yes to volunteer opportunities and put in the work.
“I feel so incredibly blessed that we are in an industry that we do really hard and complicated and challenging things, and nothing works out the way we expect it to,” she said at the roundtable, “but we all support each other, and we all want to see each other succeed.
“We all want to make everyone else smarter, and we are all better together. I can’t wait to see who is after me and hope they’re in this room.”
- 4,712 attendees (18th largest)
- 299 exhibiting companies (11th)
- 38 first-time exhibiting companies
- 1,635 water well system professionals (22nd)
- 1,389 manufacturers (19th)
- 517 suppliers (17th)
- 350 scientists and engineers (29th)
- 35 countries represented and all 50 states
- 81,900 square feet of exhibit space (largest ever)
- 220 delegates voted at the NGWA Delegates Meeting
- $45,000 raised by the Groundwater Foundation through the Sapphire Club
- 747 attendees from Texas, most of any state
- 281 attendees from Canada, most from 35 countries excluding United States
- 2nd time Groundwater Week was held in New Orleans.
NGWA Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Keynote Address
NGWA Past President Todd Hunter, CWD/PI, received the 2025 Ross L. Oliver Award, the Association’s most prestigious award for outstanding contributions to the groundwater industry (Click here to watch the award ceremony).
Hunter, owner of Ground Water Pump Systems in Boulder, Colorado, spoke of the importance of groundwater and therein the industry itself along with the need to keep working hard to provide one of life’s essential resources for customers.
The Keynote Address consisted of musicians from the world-famous Preservation Hall who took attendees through a brief history of jazz in New Orleans, with the band performing classic pieces and sharing the stories behind them.
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NGWA formed a Data Center Task Force to provide a forum for discussing data center issues and best practices to meet water needs. NGWA members who were interested in participating in the Task Force met during Groundwater Week 2025 in New Orleans to develop initial ideas for the group. A white paper or position paper is envisioned as a key initial product of the Task Force.
NGWA members who are interested in participating should contact NGWA Director of Science and Technology Bill Alley, Ph.D., at walley@ngwa.org.
Once again, NGWA proved to deliver the premier event for celebrating the industry’s achievements and looking ahead to the future, and Franklin Electric is proud to be a part of it. As Groundwater Week 2025 Diamond Sponsor, Franklin Electric extends its heartfelt gratitude to the contractors, distributors, and innovators who make the industry thrive.
From trusted pumping systems to advancements like the new VersaBoost™ Pro All-in-One Constant Pressure Boosting System, Franklin Electric is committed to empowering the work of water professionals and powering progress. This next-level pressure boosting solution is designed to elevate performance through unmatched versatility and reliability. Click here to learn more in case you missed it.
Attendees also experienced live demonstrations of Franklin Electric’s new FE Connect® One-to-One™ feature, offering a hands-on look at how Franklin Electric backs quality products you trust with the support you need to get the job done.
This state show season, connect with your local Franklin Electric experts for personalized demonstrations of the company’s latest groundwater technology!
Franklin Electric: your partner for water systems, today, and tomorrow.
Registration is now open at GroundaterWeek.com. Workshop submissions can be submitted from March 1-May 15 at GroundwaterWeek.com.
For more information about the Groundwater Week 2026 workshop submissions, contact NGWA Education Program Manager Sue Tenney at stenney@ngwa.org, or (800) 551-7379, ext. 1568.
For more information about the exhibition and sponsorship opportunities, contact Jonathan Dalferes at jdalferes@ngwa.org.
Mike Price is the senior editor of Water Well Journal. In addition to his WWJ responsibilities, Price contributes to the Association’s scientific publications. He can be reached at mprice@ngwa.org, or at (800) 551-7379, ext. 1541.
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