TGPC Public Outreach and Education Subcommittee

Subcommittee Efforts
Additional Resources
Subcommittee Meetings
Meeting Records

Subcommittee Efforts

Landowners, homeowners, and members of the general public play a large part in the protection of groundwater. They are often responsible for identifying and plugging abandoned water wells and ensuring the maintenance of On Site Wastewater Systems (OSSFs). Often homeowners, especially in rural areas, draw their drinking water from a groundwater source.

The Subcommittee encourages the development and coordination of educational outreach programs for landowners concerned with groundwater protection and environmental health issues. In addition, it facilitates interagency communication and coordination to provide support for landowner educational outreach projects. The Subcommittee is working on the following subjects:

abandoned well closure,
private well owner drinking water health impacts,
OSSF maintenance by the home owner,
domestic drinking well sampling, and
TEX*A*Syst water quality protection program.

The Subcommittee developed a Groundwater Educational Outreach Plan in 2006 and associated Groundwater Educational Outreach Plan Implementation Strategy in 2007 which addressed these and other issues.

In 2013, the 2nd Edition of the Groundwater Educational Outreach Plan focused specifically on four areas highlighted in the Activities and Recommendations of the Texas Groundwater Protection Committee – A Report to the 83rd Legislature:

Abandoned Water Wells,
Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) Water Supply Enhancement Program (WSEP, formerly known as the Brush Control Program),
Texas Well Owner Network (TWON), and
Texas Evapotranspiration Networks.

A more detailed explanation of the Subcommittee’s goals is provided in its Subcommittee Charge.

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Additional Resources

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Subcommittee Meetings

The meetings are chaired by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Members include representatives from other natural resource agencies and educational institutions and groundwater conservation districts. Meetings are open to the public.

Next Meeting

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