High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1

What High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 does

High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 (HPWD) is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, created in 1951 as the first groundwater conservation district in Texas. Headquartered in Lubbock, HPWD serves a 16-county area covering portions of the Texas Panhandle and South Plains regions, with jurisdiction over the Ogallala, Edwards-Trinity (High Plains), and Dockum aquifers. Its mandate is to protect, preserve, and conserve groundwater resources through well permitting (required for wells producing 17.5 gallons per minute or more), exempt well registration (free for domestic wells under 17.5 gpm), spacing enforcement (minimum 100 yards from newly permitted wells), and education.

HPWD's operational technology stack centers on a suite of public-facing web tools: an Interactive Map providing point-and-click access to drillers logs, water level data, and aquifer information; a Water Well Yield Calculator that estimates yield from gallons-per-minute and saturated thickness inputs; a Groundwater Contamination Viewer built on TCEQ joint groundwater monitoring data; and a Salesforce-based Well Permit Application Portal. These tools are backed by an underlying observation network of approximately 1,400 privately owned water wells (density of roughly one well per nine square miles) from which HPWD collects water level measurements. Supporting programs include the monthly newsletter "The Cross Section" (published since June 1954), the Water My Yard lawn-watering guidance program, Water Ambassadors youth education with Texas 4-H, and research/demonstration grants to local organizations such as the 2024 grant to Lubbock Master Gardeners for a rainwater retention project at the Lubbock Memorial Arboretum.

HPWD is funded primarily through property tax levies approved annually by its five-member elected Board of Directors, supplemented by permit and registration fees. The district operates with a professional staff of approximately 13, executes community engagement through school presentations, county fairs, civic-club talks, and an active digital presence, and coordinates with regulatory counterparts (USAF, EPA, TCEQ) on emerging groundwater contamination issues such as the PFAS investigation near the former Reese Air Force Base. HPWD is not a commercial enterprise; it is a public-purpose regulatory and stewardship entity with no shareholders, parent company, or subsidiaries.

Name

High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1

Legal name

High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1

Website

https://hpwd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HPWD is a Texas political subdivision and the state's first groundwater conservation district (est. 1951), regulating wells, collecting aquifer data across 16 High Plains counties, and serving private well owners and agricultural producers with permitting, mapping, and education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Groundwater Conservation Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Groundwater Monitoring Networks (Well Design, Installation & Sampling Programs) (EUAHAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wellhead Protection & Source Water Protection Studies (EUAHAFAK), Hydrogeologic Characterization & Aquifer Testing (Pumping/Slug Tests) (EUAHAFAB)

Keywords

• Groundwater conservation
• Water well permitting
• Aquifer management
• Water level monitoring
• Water education

Headquarters

HQ city

Lubbock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: The district operates as a political subdivision of Texas funded primarily through property taxes. The Board of Directors approves an annual budget and tax rate each year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 is a Texas political subdivision that conserves and protects the Ogallala Aquifer by regulating groundwater use across 16 Texas High Plains counties. It issues water well permits, registers exempt wells, monitors groundwater levels through a network of observation wells, and delivers public education and agricultural irrigation guidance.

Product overview

High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 (HPWD) is a government water conservation district offering a suite of web-based tools and services for groundwater management. The core offerings include an Interactive Map for accessing aquifer data, a Water Well Yield Calculator Tool, a Groundwater Contamination Viewer, and an online Well Permit Application Portal. Supporting services include the monthly 'The Cross Section' newsletter, the Water My Yard conservation program, and Exempt Well Registration. These tools serve residents, agricultural producers, and water well owners across a 16-county service area in the Texas High Plains to help them understand groundwater availability, comply with permitting requirements, and practice water conservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Well Permits
• Exempt Well Registration
• Water Well Yield Calculator
• Groundwater Contamination Viewer
• Interactive Coverage Map
• The Cross Section Newsletter
• Water Education Programs

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• National Cotton Council - Multi-Commodity Education ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Leading grain producers from across the U.S. visited HPWD as part of the National Cotton Council's Multi-Commodity Education Program to learn about local groundwater challenges and agricultural operations. The program helps agricultural producers form relationships and connections with other commodity organizations.
• United States Air Force / EPA / Texas Commission on Environmental QualityminorOthers · 1 January 2024Collaborative investigation into PFAS contamination near former Reese Air Force Base. USAF works with EPA and TCEQ to investigate contamination extent and assist groundwater users. HPWD receives updates from USAF regarding the situation.
• Texas 4-HminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPWD participates in the Texas 4-H Water Ambassadors Program, which provides high school youth opportunities to develop leadership skills related to water science, technology, engineering, and management in Texas.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Texas Water Development Board: State-level agency that funds and coordinates water planning across Texas, including groundwater data and financial assistance to GCDs. Broad incumbent operating statewide with overlapping groundwater data and planning responsibilities.

Regional players

• Texas Department of Agriculture: State agency administering agricultural policy, water conservation programs, and producer outreach within Texas. Adjacent in stakeholder base (agricultural producers) and conservation mandate, but does not perform groundwater permitting.

Direct peers

• South Plains Underground Water Conservation District: Texas GCD serving a contiguous region of the South Plains adjacent to HPWD's footprint; conducts well permitting, water level monitoring, and conservation education on the Ogallala Aquifer. Direct peer in mission and customer base.
• Mesa Underground Water Conservation District: Texas GCD in Dawson, Borden, and surrounding counties; manages Ogallala groundwater permitting, conservation, and stakeholder education under the same enabling statute as HPWD. Direct peer in regulatory and operational scope.
• North Plains Groundwater Conservation District: Adjacent Texas groundwater conservation district covering the northern Panhandle; operates the same regulatory model (well permitting, spacing rules, monitoring) on the Ogallala Aquifer for a different set of counties. Closest functional analog to HPWD.
• Llano Estacado Underground Water Conservation District: West Texas GCD serving Ector, Winkler, Loving, Ward, and Reeves counties; operates under the same Texas Water Code framework as HPWD with permitting, monitoring, and conservation programs. Direct peer in jurisdiction and operations.
• Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District: Texas GCD covering the eastern Panhandle; performs the same permitting, monitoring, and conservation responsibilities as HPWD on the Ogallala. Direct peer in mandate, regulatory authority, and constituent base.
• Sandy Land Underground Water Conservation District: West Texas GCD covering portions of the Permian Basin region; performs well permitting, groundwater management, and conservation education on Ogallala-sourced aquifers. Direct peer in regulatory scope and agricultural-customer mix.

Emerging players

• Water My Yard (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension): Texas A&M AgriLife Extension program offering smart irrigation scheduling and lawn-watering guidance. HPWD already partners with/distributes this program; comparable in conservation education and customer outreach focus.

Others

• U.S. Geological Survey — Texas Water Science Center: Federal science provider producing groundwater data, aquifer studies, and water-level monitoring across Texas. Comparable in the data and monitoring service line, but operates as a research/agency rather than a regulatory district.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HPUWCD
• Facebookfacebook.com/hpuwcd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/high-plains-underground-water-conservation-district-no-1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1