The Groundwater Project

What The Groundwater Project does

The Groundwater Project (operating as GW-Project) is a registered Canadian charitable non-profit, founded in 2017 and administered at the University of Guelph in Ontario. Its mission is to make groundwater knowledge universally accessible by producing and distributing free, expert-authored educational materials. The core product is an online platform (gw-project.org) offering more than 100 downloadable books covering the full groundwater curriculum — hydrogeology, contamination, karst systems, modeling, geochemistry, governance, and resource management — together with educational videos and a suite of interactive web-based teaching tools (TOPODRIVE for topographically driven flow, ParticleFlow for transport visualization, Well Capture, a Pumping Test Analysis module, and a Boundary Conditions introduction). A 2026 product launch added the Interactive Physical Three-Dimensional Water Table Model Teaching Tool, extending the offering into physical classroom hardware. Content is produced by a global volunteer network of more than 1,000 authors, reviewers, editors, and translators from 70 countries; the website is available in 7 languages and books are translated into 59 languages, with over 3 million free downloads and online reads reported.

The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Dr. Ineke Kalwij and led by Dr. John Cherry, the 2020 Stockholm Water Prize laureate and Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo, alongside board members from IIT Kharagpur, Sapienza University of Rome, Eastern Institute of Technology Ningbo, the Water Research Commission of South Africa, H2OFrontier (United States), and Hydroplan/Sustainable Water Institute (Brazil). Day-to-day operations are run by a small paid staff comprising an Operations Director and a Translation Coordinator. Revenue is generated entirely through tax-deductible charitable donations and a structured multi-tier corporate sponsorship program (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Supporter), with headline sponsors including TDS (Diamond), WJ Canada (Platinum), and Shell (Gold). End users — universities, hydrogeology professionals, governments, developing-world communities, and private well owners — access all materials free of charge without paywalls or mandatory registration, and the organization explicitly encourages public and commercial educational institutions to adopt the materials in coursework.

Name

The Groundwater Project

Legal name

The Groundwater Project

Website

https://gw-project.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Groundwater Project is a Canadian registered charity that publishes free, expert-authored groundwater educational books, videos, and interactive web tools in up to 59 languages for universities, professionals, policymakers, and developing-world communities worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

Open Interactive Learning Objects & Simulations (EDAGAJAE)

Keywords

• Groundwater education
• Hydrogeology textbooks
• Water resource management
• Online learning platform
• Educational publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Guelph

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Groundwater Project is a registered Canadian charity (BN: 764978532RR0001) that relies entirely on donations from individuals and corporate sponsors to fund operations and content creation. Donations are tax-deductible in Canada and potentially in other countries under applicable tax laws.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors at various tiers (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) support the organization financially. Sponsors include TDS (Diamond), WJ Canada (Platinum), Shell, KGS Group, AECOM, and approximately 25 other companies in the groundwater and environmental consulting sectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Groundwater Project provides free online educational materials about groundwater science, including downloadable books in 59 languages, educational videos, and interactive web-based simulation tools. The content covers all aspects of hydrogeology from introductory to professional levels and is produced by over 1,000 volunteer experts from 70 countries, with leadership anchored by 2020 Stockholm Water Prize laureate Dr. John Cherry.

Product overview

The Groundwater Project is a non-profit educational platform offering free groundwater learning materials globally. The core offerings consist of downloadable books (covering hydrogeology, contamination, karst, modeling, and resource management), educational videos, and interactive web-based learning tools. The interactive education component includes specialized simulation tools such as Water Table Recharge, TOPODRIVE, ParticleFlow, Well Capture, Pumping Test Analysis, and Analytical Groundwater Modeling. Books are available in English with translations into 59 languages. The portfolio includes both original publications and preserved books shared through partnerships with organizations like the Water Research Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Groundwater Project Books Free downloadable PDF books covering all aspects of groundwater science, including hydrogeology, contamination, karst systems, modeling, geophysics, geochemistry, and resource management, authored by leading international experts and translated into 59 languages for global learners, students, and professionals.
• Groundwater Project Videos Educational video content covering groundwater topics including flow paths, contamination demonstrations, DNAPL migration, karst landscapes, and introductory groundwater concepts for children, available free via the website and YouTube.
• Interactive Education Tools (web-based groundwater simulations) Suite of web-based interactive learning tools for groundwater flow modeling, pumping test analysis, well capture visualization, boundary conditions, and analytical groundwater modeling using Python, available free of charge for students, instructors, and professionals.
• Interactive Physical Three-Dimensional Water Table Model Teaching Tool Classroom-scale physical PVC tube-based monitoring well network model that allows students to measure water levels, compute hydraulic heads, plot equipotential maps, and visualize groundwater flow directions; designed for university groundwater curriculum, hydrogeology labs, field camps, and high school learning modules.
• Hazardous Karst Free downloadable book covering karst theory with specific application to investigation methodology, hazard determination, and mitigation/rehabilitation of hazard events in different karst environments.
• Groundwater Contamination and Geoenvironmental Impacts of Upstream Oil and Gas Production Free downloadable book covering groundwater contamination and the geoenvironmental impacts of upstream oil and gas production activities.
• The Oak Ridges Moraine Aquifer System, Canada: Data-driven Collaborative Science for Public Purpose Free downloadable book covering data-driven collaborative science for public-purpose groundwater management of the Oak Ridges Moraine Aquifer System in Canada.
• Analytical Hydrogeology of Inland and Coastal Unconfined Dupuit-Type Aquifers Free downloadable book covering analytical hydrogeology of inland and coastal unconfined Dupuit-type aquifers for advanced students and professionals.
• Wally & Deanna's Groundwater Adventure Children's educational book teaching about the water cycle and groundwater, originally published in 1993 and made freely available through the platform for kids, families, and classrooms.
• Preserved Books Selected groundwater books preserved and shared through partnerships, including titles contributed by the Water Research Foundation on aquitards and underground storage facilities, made freely accessible via the platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3 million free book downloads and online reads
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• University of WaterloocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBronze Sponsor. The university has deep ties to The Groundwater Project - Dr. John Cherry is Professor Emeritus at Waterloo and the project originated from work at Canadian universities including Waterloo.
• University of GuelphcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Groundwater Project is administered at the University of Guelph where Dr. John Cherry serves as an Assistant Professor.
• Water Research FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater Research Foundation partnered with The Groundwater Project to share three preserved books: Contaminant Transport Through Aquitards: A Scientific Review, Contaminant Transport Through Aquitards: Technical Guidelines for Aquitard Evaluation, and Design, Operation and Maintenance for Sustainable Underground Storage Facilities.
• Instituto Água Sustentável (IAS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collaborator and supporter of GW Project from Brazil. Launched the Professor Agua Project on World Water Day (March 22), creating educational materials with Everton de Oliveira representing the project. IAS produces videos and textbooks for schools about water issues.
• G360 GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting The Groundwater Project's mission and activities.
• International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporter organization. IAH promotes groundwater science and education globally, aligning with The Groundwater Project's mission.
• Hydrogeologists Without BordersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver Sponsor supporting The Groundwater Project's charitable mission.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• UNESCO IHE Delft Institute for Water Education: Institute specializing in water education and capacity building, particularly for developing countries. Overlaps with The Groundwater Project's developing-world capacity-building mission but delivers formal degree programs rather than free open educational resources.
• American Geophysical Union (AGU): Large scientific society publishing peer-reviewed journals and educational resources across earth and space sciences including hydrogeology. Overlaps with The Groundwater Project's expert-authored educational content delivery, but operates as a paid-membership publisher.
• Khan Academy: Large-scale free online education platform with video lessons, exercises, and interactive tools. Comparable freemium OER distribution model and self-serve global access, though Khan Academy's content portfolio and audience reach are vastly broader.

Direct peers

• OpenStax (Rice University): Leading publisher of free, peer-reviewed open textbooks across STEM and other disciplines. Comparable OER publishing model with expert-authored content delivered free online, though serving a broader subject portfolio than The Groundwater Project's groundwater focus.
• OER Commons: Public digital library of open educational resources across disciplines. Comparable open-license educational content distribution model with multi-stakeholder contributions, including resources usable in university groundwater courses.
• International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH): Global scientific/educational association for hydrogeology and a listed supporter of The Groundwater Project. Both organizations pursue advancing groundwater science through education, publications, and international member networks — making IAH the most direct peer in mission and audience.
• National Ground Water Association (NGWA): US-based membership organization for groundwater professionals offering educational resources, training, and certification. Comparable mission of advancing groundwater expertise globally, with overlap in serving hydrogeologists, well drillers, and environmental consultants.
• Hydrogeologists Without Borders: Non-profit organization supporting groundwater science and clean water access internationally through volunteer professionals. Both organizations share a charitable mission, volunteer-driven model, and focus on global groundwater capacity building; HWB is a listed Silver sponsor of The Groundwater Project.
• International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC): UNESCO-hosted centre focused on groundwater resource assessment, monitoring, and capacity building globally. Direct peer in global groundwater knowledge dissemination and education, with overlap on developing-country audience.

Others

• Schlumberger Foundation / Faculty for the Future: Industry-aligned STEM education and capacity-building initiative for women from developing countries in STEM fields including geoscience. Comparable model of corporate-funded STEM/groundwater education in underserved regions, though with a narrower fellowship delivery mechanism.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/groundwaterproj
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GroundwaterProject
• Facebookfacebook.com/groundwaterproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-groundwater-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/thegroundwater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 The Groundwater Project