2015
NGWA
ANNUAL
REPORT
ADVANCING GROUNDWATER KNOWLEDGE
NGWA
SM
The Groundwater
Association
HERE’S HOW YOUR ASSOCIATION DELIVERED IN 2015
ON ITS COMMITMENTS TO YOU.
As the leading advocate for the groundwater professions, the National Ground Water Association serves
you, the professional who provides, protects, manages, and remediates groundwater, and those who
contribute toward those outcomes. NGWA conveniently and promptly delivers a broad and extensive
range of resources to help you succeed through relationships, leading edge and emerging practices, and
credible sources of new ideas and solutions.
NGWA provides value to the membership through:
• Productivity: Increasing the efficiency and
effectiveness of groundwater professionals
through information to do their work better
• Opportunity: Enabling or encouraging more
favorable conditions for members
• Speed: Responding quickly to needs for
objective scientific or technical information
• Freedom to operate: Preventing unwarranted
constraints on where and how the groundwater
professions work
• Cost avoidance: Preventing or reducing
controllable increases in the costs of doing
business.
The Association strives to deliver on these
commitments largely through:
• Advocacy to government, as well as to the general
public
• Providing highly valued products and services to
members
• Education through a suite of programs that move
toward advanced learning
• Networking channels and events
• A lean, effective operational model.
“Celebrate what you’ve accomplished, but raise the bar a little
higher each time your succeed”. — Mia Hamm
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Image courtesy of http://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/index.jsp
Already, NGWA has played important contributing roles in the development,
funding, and implementation of a National Ground-Water Monitoring Network
(NGWMN).
Enabling and encouraging more favorable conditions for members
In keeping with NGWA’s core purpose
of responsible groundwater use, the
Association has endeavored to raise
awareness about groundwater availability,
scarcity, and the need to protect it. We will
build on our efforts in the coming years.
groundwater and surface water, rather than
ill-informed reactions.
The U.S. Congress approved $2.6 million
for the implementation of the NGWMN in
FY2015, which will collect data from state
partners to generate a comprehensive
picture of the resource on a national
scale—something that has never been
done before.
Accurate data of
groundwater for
state agencies help
enable more informed
regulations and better
conjunctive use of
groundwater and
surface water....
The network’s value is as an easily
accessible tool for the full spectrum of
groundwater professionals to monitor
trends in groundwater quality and quantity.
This information will be valuable to those
making planning decisions which can
impact on where best to construct wells.
Accurate data of groundwater for state
agencies help enable more informed
regulations and better conjunctive use of
Recognizing the importance of
groundwater in the western United States,
NGWA retained for 2015 attorney Peter
Scott, Esq., a former hydrogeologist, to
provide expertise on western water
law, including exempt well issues.
Further, the Association cosponsored the
Western Governors’ Association’s Drought
Impacts and Solutions for Water Supply
Management workshop. The group invited
NGWA input on drought and groundwater
concerns. The Association supported
Capitol Hill efforts to craft comprehensive
drought legislation. Lauren Schapker,
NGWA government affairs director, met
with several California congressional offices,
urging them to consider groundwater’s
role in drought management and the
importance of not only recharging
groundwater, but also conjunctively using
surface water and groundwater.
The water/energy nexus brought NGWA
to the forefront in several ways in 2015,
including an invited briefing to the federal
Interagency Work Group on the Water/
Energy Nexus. In addition, NGWA served
as a cosponsor of a series of Capitol
Hill briefings that examined water and
land constraints across several types of
energy production. House and Senate
staff, executive branch officials, and other
stakeholders attended.
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Since the 1970s, the Association has participated
in the ground source or geothermal heat pump
sector. In 2015, several significant initiatives were
completed to better define our role.
These guidelines
present site assessment
approaches to help
assure effective and
long-term installations
meet regulatory
requirements, have an
acceptable financial
rate of return,
prevent groundwater
contamination, protect
drinking water sources
and public health, and
protect the owners’
investment.
We published Understanding Hydrogeology
and Its Impact on Large-Scale Geothermal
Heat Pump Systems because site
hydrogeology affects ground heat
exchanger performance in large-scale
(beyond single-family homes) systems.
These guidelines present site assessment
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approaches to help assure effective and
long-term installations meet regulatory
requirements, have an acceptable financial
rate of return, prevent groundwater
contamination, protect drinking water
sources and public health, and protect the
owners’ investment.
Association volunteers submitted
comments to the draft Canadian
Standards Association’s 448 standard for
ground source heat pump installations.
The majority of NGWA’s suggestions were
adopted as they protect groundwater
and help contribute to better system
performance. As a member of the standard’s
technical committee, the Association voted
in favor of the revised standard.
Meanwhile, NGWA comments submitted
to the International Association of
Plumbing and Mechanical Officials’ heat
pump standard technical committee were
incorporated into that group’s work.
The Association and the Geothermal
Exchange Organization (GEO) coordinated
strategy on promoting geothermal
heat pumps in energy legislation.
NGWA joined the Investment Tax Credit
Coalition, which is organized around
renewable energy interests—with NGWA
as the group’s lone geothermal heat
pump representative. Staff and volunteers
submitted comments in conjunction with
the Senate Finance Committee’s efforts
to create comprehensive tax reform.
NGWA’s comments focused on the energy
efficiency and renewable energy benefits of
geothermal heat pumps.
NGWA promptly responded to a Climate
Bonds Initiative request to help document
heat pumps’ environmental impacts for the
benefit of institutions issuing billions of
dollars of “Climate Bonds.”
NGWA commented to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency on its
Clean Power Plan, a rule regulating power
plants’ carbon dioxide emissions. NGWA
expressed support for allowing each state
flexibility in developing its best system of
emission reduction, and the proposed rule’s
focus on looking toward renewable energy
technology, such as geothermal heat
pump systems, and demand-side energy
efficiency improvements. NGWA is working
with Obama administration officials to
appropriately position geothermal heat
The NGWA Groundwater Industry
Legislative Fly-In returns in early
2016, and we will be serving as an
organizer again in the Geosciences
Congressional Visit Day hosted by the
American Geosciences Institute.
pump systems as a part of the solution in
implementing the final Clean Power Plan.
The Leaking Underground Storage
Tank trust fund, which remains solvent
by receiving a portion of the motor fuels
tax, helps protect groundwater supplies,
and remains a significant business sector
for NGWA member firms. As funding for
highway programs and modifications to
the motor fuels tax is debated, government
affairs volunteers have communicated the
potential impact to groundwater quality
and to remediation practices should the
fund be lost or reduced.
Staff participated in the briefing on the
third phase of the National Water-Quality
Assessment Program and meetings on
possible revisions to regulations dealing
with lead in drinking water. David Kreamer,
Ph.D., represented NGWA member
interests as the Water Census considered
groundwater monitoring and groundwater/
surface water interaction. Jeff Davis of
Cardno Entrix represented NGWA on the
federal advisory group looking at “open
water data” access. Paul Gruber, PG, a
member of NGWA’s Groundwater Protection
and Management Subcommittee, testified
on behalf of NGWA in a House hearing
titled “Helping Revitalize American
Communities through the Brownfields
Program.”
The Water Systems
Cost Savings Act
was reintroduced
in the U. S. House
of Representatives.
The Association has
financially assisted
the Water Systems
Council’s effort
seeking stringent
consideration of well
systems in federally
funded drinking water
delivery.
our members, and a new Twitter account
(@NGWA_GovtAffs) keeps you up to speed
on events in Washington. We reformatted
your Washington Update newsletter to better
identify the impact of legislation, regulation,
and NGWA responses.
NGWA Past President Scott Fowler, CWD/
PI, has agreed to serve in the volunteer
leadership role for the NGWA Political Action
Committee.
NGWA will apply a $209,000 share of a $1.7
million U.S. EPA award to a team including
NGWA, the Water Systems Council, the Water
Quality Association, the Illinois State Water
Survey, and the lead applicant, the Rural
Community Assistance Partnership.
The grant initiatives NGWA will undertake
include 12 online lessons for well owners, 10
well owner webinars, a well maintenance app,
a well owner’s operating e-manual, a video
guide to well financing, and various other
communication tools.
NGWA enhanced member government
affairs communications in 2015 by
providing state legislative and regulatory
updates on a nearly “as it happens” basis to
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Today, all Scientists and Engineers
Division members receive Groundwater
in a digital format. However, they retain
the option of receiving Groundwater in
print, as well.
Responding quickly to needs for objective scientific and
technical information
As the world clamors for more knowledge at a
ANSI/NGWA-01-14 was cited as an example
time when it is awash with information, some
of water well construction standards in a
of it unqualified, NGWA must ask and answer:
bill introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate,
and the National Association of Home
•
•
•
•
How do we find the most important work
Builders suggested ANSI/NGWA-01-14 be
to share?
incorporated in the International Residential
How do we convey what is and is not
Code, Plumbing Section, as well as the
going on in the field?
International Plumbing Code. NGWA Director
How much progress is being made and
of Science and Technology Bill Alley, Ph.D.,
how can we improve that?
presented information on the standard during
How can we move good ideas more
a Rome, Italy, workshop organized by our
efficiently?
partner, the Italian National Association of
Hydrogeology and Wells.
Building on the success of the Association’s
water well construction standard, ANSI/
As members and others clamor for data
NGWA-01-14, the board authorized work to
about the hard-to-measure U.S. groundwater
begin on development of an accompanying
market, we’ve developed a one-stop
water well pumping systems installation
website feature of federal data, as well as
standard through the Association’s American
updated our fact sheets on national and state
National Standards Institute–sanctioned
groundwater markets.
process.
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We’ve developed a onestop website feature of
federal data, as well as
updated our fact sheets
on national and state
groundwater markets.
NGWA’s industry practices staff developed for
homeowners a residential water well
maintenance guidance, defining when the
professional contractor must take over to
achieve the safest and best operations and
the best quality and quantity of water.
Additionally, NGWA and the Water Quality
Association jointly developed guidance on
proper water well disinfection procedures.
NGWA’s best suggested practices document
on aquifer storage and recovery was
instrumental in comments provided to
the U.S. EPA on the inclusion of managed
aquifer recharge projects under a new
federal funding program.
The Association led a series of workshops
the traditional PDF format, generating
of citations to recent articles published in
with U.S. EPA and several consulting firms
a hybrid document that gives depth to
a peer-reviewed journal, and is frequently
promoting the use of combined remedies
a previously flat experience. ReadCube
used as a proxy for the relative importance
at contaminated sites—detailing various
also offers a robust paper management
of a journal within its field.
combinations that had been used, overall
tool, an increasingly important aspect for
cost effectiveness, benchmarks for precisely
researchers today.
when a remedy starts to work and later
loses its effectiveness, and overcoming
perceived barriers by clients and the
regulatory community.
NGWA’s content on Wiley Online Library
became even more user friendly as
papers for Groundwater® and Groundwater
Groundwater’s IF ranked it 15th out of 83
journals in the water resources category
ReadCube also
offers a robust paper
management tool, an
increasingly important
aspect for researchers
today.
Monitoring & Remediation® are now utilizing
and 54th out of 175 journals in the
geosciences category.
Groundwater Editor-in-Chief Henk Haitjema,
Ph.D., is working to develop ways to further
increase the journal’s IF.
In addition, special digital-only issue
of Groundwater, was delivered in April,
the ReadCube PDF format. ReadCube’s
technology takes the functional capabilities
These efforts, we believe, have contributed
focusing on artificial and environmental
of HTML—such as inline reference
toward Groundwater subscriptions
tracer methods used to characterize flow
links, figure browsing, one-click author
increasing, as well as the journal recording
and transport in aquifers.
search, related articles, and annotation/
its highest-ever impact factor (IF), 2.307. IF
highlighting tools—and applies them to
is a measure reflecting the average number
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The skills and competencies associated with
water well drilling and pump installation
are now being assigned to related Water
Well Journal articles.
Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation’s
IF, 0.944, ranked it 56th in water resources.
The number is a slight decrease from 2013
when it had its highest mark in 14 years
with an IF of 1.25.
A benefit of a strong IF is increased paper
submissions, which have been running at a
42.8% of respondents
say Water Well Journal
was the most important
publication to their job,
significantly ahead of
other titles.
The skills and competencies associated with
water well drilling and pump installation
are now being assigned to related Water
Well Journal articles. The skills are assigned
DACUM codes corresponding to the water
well job task analysis charts. DACUM codes
also appear in the Groundwater Expo
workshops catalog.
record pace for the past several years.
Water Well Journal’s® availability was
Research USA conducted a survey of Water
promoted to several thousand water well
Well Journal readers, finding:
contractors working in Europe, while sales
representation visited potential advertisers
•
42.8% of respondents say Water Well
at Wasser Berlin, a major international trade
Journal was the most important
exposition. Meanwhile, we again delivered
publication to their job, significantly
our annual Water Well Journal Latin
ahead of other titles
America issue to several thousand regional
•
43.5% said they read Water Well Journal
for education
contractors.
•
94.8% look at advertising
•
55.3% use advertising to narrow
down choices or get ideas for future
purposes
•
68.3% pass on the publication to
coworkers, to an average of 3.8 others.
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This year, NGWA’s membership newsletter,
NGWA Toolkit, moved to a twice monthly
publication schedule alternating with
NGWA’s Washington Update. NGWA Toolkit
focuses on education and training, while
Washington Update focuses on Association
efforts on behalf of the membership.
RANKED #1
340,089
NGWA’s WellOwner.org website is
ranked first or second in a search of
“water wells” in the five top Internet
search engines.
Estimated
minutes watched on NGWA
YouTube.
Two NGWA-produced videos were distributed to
encourage young people to consider groundwater
careers. One is aimed toward a high school and early
college audience, and features commentary by students,
young professionals, and faculty. The second video is
targeted more to the middle school student. In two
months, each video had been viewed hundreds of times.
18
YEARS
700
WEBSITES
For 18 years, NGWA has advanced National
Groundwater Awareness Week to make
the public more aware of the critical role of
groundwater. Thanks to nearly 700 websites;
more than 120 promotional partners involving
federal, state, and local government agencies;
federal and state nonprofit organizations; and
news media—it is estimated the number of
people reached was in the millions.
Since 2012, NGWA has promoted Protect Your Groundwater
Day, spotlighting groundwater protection through water
conservation, as well as by protection from contamination.
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All 2014 and 2015 NGWA “brown
bag” webinars for which NGWA
had permission to record are now
available free for online viewing at
NGWA.org/Recordings.
Increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of groundwater
professionals through information to help them work better
NGWA, through its subject matter experts
Since 1992, NGWA has conducted custom
Vermont, and the NGWA Groundwater
and PSI/LaserGrade’s psychometrician,
training sessions for the Indian Health
Expo.
converted many questions on contractor
Service including this past year for 32 IHS
certification exams to multiple choice, in
staff and contractors. Attendees also
NGWA’s Well, Aquifer, Pump, Office,
addition to reviewing questions candidates
participated in the pilot testing of NGWA’s
and Safety activity areas at the annual
found confusing.
first online module, Introduction to
Groundwater Expo, introduced in 2014,
Groundwater Resources.
have been revamped for greater interaction
In little over a year since
its reopening, nine
individuals were admitted
on the pathway to earning
the Certified Groundwater
Professional designation.
in 2015.
Many NGWA courses and conferences are
preapproved for continuing education
The 2016 NGWA Groundwater Summit
credits by state agencies, such as the
returns to Denver, Colorado, April 24-27.
Florida Board of Professional Engineers and
On April 28, NGWA, in collaboration with
the Texas Commission on Environmental
the American Water Resources Association,
Quality.
will present an interactive workshop on
The Groundwater Visibility Initiative:
Major 2015 NGWA conferences included
Integrating Groundwater and Surface Water
In little over a year since its reopening, nine
the Groundwater Summit, the Upper
Management. This workshop will include
individuals were admitted on the pathway
Great Plains Groundwater Conference in
three highly focused panel presentations,
to earning the Certified Groundwater
Cheyenne, Wyoming, the Groundwater in
and breakout and summary sessions.
Professional designation.
Fractured Rock Conference in Burlington,
10
Staff from the membership, publications,
and industry practices departments
developed means by which NGWA could
improve networking resources for the
membership and foster stronger bonds
and greater use of the networking
opportunities in place.
Connecting people, knowledge, information, and ideas
There are many networking channels in
which NGWA participates on behalf of the
professions the Association serves. Staff and
volunteer leaders deliver NGWA to a broad
range of critical stakeholders.
In the past year, NGWA was present
and actively participated at meetings
of groups as diverse as: the Association
of State and Territorial Solid Waste
Management Officials, Engineers Without
Borders, the International Association of
Hydrogeologists, American Geophysical
Union, National Drilling Association,
UNESCO’s International Hydrologic
Programme, the National Drinking Water
Advisory Council, the National Energy
Technology Laboratory near Pittsburgh,
Ohio State University’s Humanitarian
Engineering Center, the Ministry of Water
and Agriculture of Tanzania, Western
Governors’ Association, American Water
Resources Association, the Water Quality
Association, the Water Systems Council, the
Irrigation Association, International Ground
Source Heat Pump Association, GEO, ASTM,
CSA, ASHRAE, Universities Council on Water
for International Development Bureau of
Water, U.S. EPA Office of Drinking Water and
Groundwater, the Association of American
State Geologists, Associated General
Contractors, National Association of Water
Companies, and the Geological Survey of
Denmark and Greenland.
Resources, National Institutes for Water
Resources, Consortium of Universities for
the Advancement of Hydrologic Science,
U.S. Department of State, Interagency
Working Group on Water/Energy Nexus,
China Engineering Center Partnership for
Contaminated Sites Remediation,
Geoprofessional Business Association,
the Groundwater Foundation, U.S. EPA’s
Office of Research and Development
Risk Management Laboratory, Ground
Water Protection Council, U.S. Agency
We’ve entered into a memorandum of
understanding with the Borehole Drillers
Association of Nigeria, while renewing
several others, including associations in
Brazil, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
NGWA Partners—at Home and Around the World
Finnish Well Drillers
Association
Geological Society
of London
China Engineering Center
Partnership for Contaminated
Site Remediation (E3)
National Hydrogeology
and Water Well
Association of Italy
United States of America:
• 47 State Associations
• Advisory Committee on Water Information
• American National Standards Institute
• Association of American State Geologists
• Coalition for National Science Funding
• Environmental and Engineering
Geophysical Society
•Geological Society of America
•Geothermal Energy Organization
• Groundwater Foundation
• Irrigation Association
• National Onsite Wastewater Recycling
Association
• New England Geothermal Professional
Association
• Source Water Collaborative
• U.S. Water Alliance
• U.S. Water Parnership
• WaterSense (U.S. EPA program)
• Water Systems Council
Mexican
Hydrogeology
Association
Colombian
Association of
Hydrogeologists
Korea
Ground Water
Association
Japanese Association
of Groundwater
Hydrology
Industrial Society of
Well Drilling in Taiwan Area
Venezuelan Association of
the Ground Water Industry
Brazilian Ground
Water Association
Taiwan Association of Soil and
Groundwater Environmental
Protection
Association of Water Well
Drilling Rig Owners and
Practitioners (AWDROP)
of Nigeria
Groundwater Association
of Botswana
Borehole Water Association
of Southern Africa
Other worldwide relationships:
• UNESCO, IHP
• European Ground Source Heat Pump Association
• Global Water Partnership
• International Association of Hydrogeologists
• International Ground Source Heat Pump
Association
• International Groundwater Resources
Assessment Centre
• International Union of Geological Sciences
• Water Associations Worldwide
• World Water Council
Australian Drilling
Industry Association
National Centre
for Groundwater
Research and
Training
New Zealand
Drillers Federation
National Ground Water Association • www.NGWA.org • 614 898.7791 • 800 551.7379
®
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When natural disasters strike, many NGWA
pump installation, and more—in addition
members. Experiments so far with localized
members are eager to assist and well
to a link to how to volunteer for NGWA.
member networking events have not been
systems are often the best choice for fast
Check it out at NGWA.org/CareerCenter.
as successful as we would have liked.
is NGWA’s experience that at times such as
At the Groundwater Summit, facilitated
All U.S. Water Partnership (USWP) member
these our membership expresses its desire
discussion sessions continue to grow as a
websites, including NGWA’s, can now
to help restore safe drinking water supplies
vehicle for both early career and established
be searched for the best of U.S. water
as rapidly as possible. In the earliest days of
groundwater professionals to share their
information resources from USWP’s H2infO
any disasters however, only the immediate
perspectives on various industry issues.
portal. The refinements allow users to
turnaround, as well as for cost concerns. It
relief groups from local or national
search by USWP member sites or file type
governments, or the United Nations, are
(i.e., document, PowerPoint, Excel).
best able to help through their effective
coordination. As a result, the Association
has built a flowchart for how NGWA will
respond when a natural disaster occurs
with implications to groundwater use.
Our quarterly briefings for state,
territorial, and provincial water well
construction officials have proven useful in
communicating NGWA efforts to this critical
audience. Three of the four meetings are
conducted online, with the fourth in person
during the NGWA annual meeting.
At the Groundwater
Summit, facilitated
discussion sessions
continue to grow as a
vehicle for both early
career and established
groundwater
professionals to share
their perspectives on
various industry issues.
Special video thanks were emailed to
NGWA volunteers during April’s National
Volunteer Week, and we produced a
video encouraging members to consider
becoming a board director candidate. We
again offered both online and in-person
sessions of our long-standing Director
Candidates School.
Staff completed an effort to identify
groundwater faculty at North American
universities. We reached out to several
hundred nonmember academics,
Staff revised the career center page on
promoting NGWA membership for them
our website to be a more comprehensive
While nearly all the NGWA social media
and their students. Some results suggest
resource for members. It now features links
outlets increased in traffic during 2015
further, but limited, opportunity.
to our career mentor database, careers
from 2014, the Association is examining
brochure, a link to Chronicle Guidance’s
how best to create local, face-to-face
publications and the DACUMs for drilling,
networking opportunities for NGWA
At the Groundwater Summit, early
career professionals took advantage
of the opportunity to visit with future
colleagues during the Next Gen
Groundwater Professionals Meetup.
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Lean and effective operations
Our aim is to develop and implement a lean,
resources for a break-even or better return
enhancements in member service to
effective operational model, thus making
on expenditures from the fund over a three-
leverage.
prudent use of the resources entrusted
year period.
to the Association by the membership.
In 2014, dozens of Groundwater Expo
We received third-party assessments of
exhibitors sent more than 165,600 emails to
For the 16th year, NGWA hosted for
our digital publishing and advertising
their customers and other contacts through
members interested in board service our
sales strategies and are implementing
our Exhibitor Invite system. This successful
Director Candidates School. Additionally,
actions to best serve the Association. Our
registration program was repeated in 2015.
briefings were held for volunteer group
desired outcomes require high levels of
chairs and staff liaisons.
collaboration from our partners.
We adopted a new online process to
assist our volunteers to assign intellectual
The Board Operations Task Group identified
We’ve begun to look deeper into
property permissions from their voluntary
and worked with staff to implement
integrating content management into
contributions.
several modifications to New Director
our digital operations with an aim toward
Orientation, striving to enhance each
greater customized content push to our
director’s effectiveness.
membership.
The board directed staff to rebalance the
In July, the Association moved to a new
board’s Business Development Fund,
enterprise management software system
and authorized staff to consider up to 50
based upon the widely adopted Salesforce.
percent of the newly balanced fund as
com platform. We have found numerous
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Financial report to the membership
NGWA completed a challenging, yet
was down among the publications serving
To protect against business disruptions
successful, year on December 31, 2014.
our market. Advertisers have trimmed
and to fund strategic initiatives in support
Despite the struggling U.S. and global
budgets and moved to alternative media
of NGWA’s mission, the Association held
economies, NGWA continued to improve
such as digital advertising, social media,
financial reserves of nearly $5.9 million at
services and operations for its members.
and their own web presence. This presents
year’s end. 2014 investment performance
challenges to NGWA, but the Association
resulted in a gain of more than $62,000
Rea & Associates CPAs conducted the
is well positioned in digital marketing,
in addition to dividend/interest income
2014 audit and gave NGWA an unqualified
website impact, and an advertising product
totaling $88,500. While positive investment
opinion, indicating NGWA’s financial
mix that maximizes advertiser return on
returns are never guaranteed, NGWA’s
statements fairly represented the
investment.
investment portfolio is continually
organization’s financial position and were
in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles. Assets totaled
$8.759 million, an increase just under
1.0% over 2013. Revenue totaled $5.487
million, a 6.3% increase over 2013. Expenses
increased by 1.6% over 2013 to $5.393
million. This resulted in a net operating gain
of $93,881 vs. a 2013 net operating loss of
monitored to ensure that appropriate levels
Despite the struggling
U.S. and global
economies, NGWA
continued to improve
services and operations
for its members.
of safeguards and risks are in place to take
full advantage of the market, and to meet
the long-term needs of the organization.
Overall expenses increased by $86,557 or
1.6% over 2013 expense levels, attributable
to expenses in delivering services to the
membership.
$146,801.
Membership dues revenue was down
The Association’s balance sheet
The Groundwater Expo returned to Las
3.3% from 2013. Membership dues totaled
(statement of financial position) is
Vegas in 2014 after being in Nashville
$1.525 million in 2014 vs. $1.577 million
very healthy. Other than standard
in 2013. Attendees totaled 5,245 vs. the
in 2013. Though revenue was down, the
trade payables, there is virtually no debt
Nashville total of 3,687. The number of
number of members increased. Total
and assets are primarily investment
exhibitors in Las Vegas totaled 302 vs.
membership at the end of 2014 was 11,012
grade securities and income-producing
the Nashville total of 372. Although the
vs. 10,980 at the end of 2013. Scientists and
investment products—all with manageable
number of exhibitors was lower in 2014,
Engineers Division membership deceased
risk.
the space sold exceeded that in 2013 and
by 7.6% (502 members) while Contractors
was consistent with the prior Las Vegas
Division membership increased by 503
Groundwater Expo. Total revenue for the
(15.5%). The balance of the membership
2014 Expo was 18.9% higher than the 2013
increase came from Suppliers Division and
Expo, and 11.4% higher than the 2012 Expo
Manufacturers Division membership.
in Las Vegas.
Royalties income received a significant
Advertising revenue presented a
boost due to a revision in the Wiley
challenge. Total advertising revenue for
Publications contract. Wiley provided NGWA
2014, at $1.12 million, was below 2013
with a royalty associated with contract
advertising revenue by $87,500 or 7.2%.
renewal and support for NGWA’s move
Analysis shows this is not the result of
to digital distribution of the Association’s
market share losses as all print advertising
scientific journals.
14
Statements of Financial Position
Year ended December 31
2014
2013
Assets
$3,404,498
$3,360,707
4,353,342
4,078,831
Receivables, net
240,924
226,977
Prepaid expenses
102,166
94,967
69,548
73,932
Deferred income taxes
1,200
4,200
Deposits
6,364
6,364
Cash and cash equivalents
Investments
Inventory, net
Property and equipment, net
581,773
595,837
$8,759,815
$8,711,815
$1,524,651
$1,577,370
1,468,483
1,201,910
462,337
507,817
46,384
40,738
1,122,145
1,209,599
443,196
213,840
0
0
Miscellaneous income
240,463
182,611
Contributions
179,245
225,780
$5,486,904
$5,159,665
$4,734,313
$4,615,932
658,710
690,534
$5,393,023
$5,306,466
$93,881
$(146,801)
$61,920
$275,411
88,489
93,596
Total assets
Statements of Activities
Year ended December 31
Revenue
Membership dues
Conventions and expositions
Course and conference registrations
Books and proceedings
Advertising and related income
Royalties
Insurance fees
Total revenue
Expenses
Program and direct costs
Management and general
Total expenses
Operating income (loss)
Other Income (Expenses)
Net realized/unrealized gains on
marketable securities
Interest income
Bad debt recovery on notes receivable
16,781
21,101
Income taxes (expense)/benefit
44,600
(43,621)
$211,800
$346,487
Total other income
$305,681
$199,686
Net assets, beginning of year
$6,914,210
$6,714,524
Net assets, end of year
$7,219,891
$6,914,210
Change in Net Assets
15
NGWA
SM
The Groundwater
Association
601 Dempsey Road
Westerville, Ohio 43081