Our tagline, which appears on almost everything we print, is simple yet profound: "We work for you, the taxpayer." This statement is deeply ingrained in the beliefs of our staff and board. Our existence is rooted in a fundamental duty and commitment to serve the landowners within our area.

Recently, we reached out to our community through our Facebook page with a series of questions to gauge awareness about our District. It was disheartening to discover that many taxpayers who contribute to our funding, were unaware of the range of services we provide.

One of our most popular services, offered free of charge to residents in the District, is a comprehensive water quality analysis. Although our facility is not a certified lab, we are equipped with state-of-the-art testing equipment known for its modern accuracy. Our results consistently compare favorably with those from certified laboratories.

We conduct tests for the presence of coliform bacteria, e. Coli, as well as for iron, nitrates, sulfates, chlorides, hardness, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), and conductivity. Testing is available Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please note that bacteria samples cannot be tested on Fridays due to the required 24-hour incubation period. While any clean container is suitable for regular constituent samples, we provide specialized bottles for collecting bacteria samples. For more information on obtaining these bottles and brief instructions on sample collection, please contact our office directly.

Additionally, we offer valuable information. You can explore our website at www.hickoryuwcd.org for interactive maps detailing water levels, current well locations within the district, and rainfall data. If you prefer personal assistance or find online resources daunting, feel free to reach out to us by phone or visit our office in person.

We also maintain an extensive collection of studies, papers, and books on groundwater and local aquifers. Over the years, our resources have been utilized by students for college courses and even national-level science fair projects.

Concerned about the static water level in your well or the efficiency of your irrigation system? We offer assistance in these areas as well. We have flowmeters available for loan to irrigators, allowing them to accurately measure the gallons per minute their wells produce. Additionally, we can visit your property to measure the static water level of your well.

While these services are provided to you at no cost, we kindly request your cooperation. It is important for well owners to register domestic and livestock wells, and to permit larger producing wells such as those used for irrigation, industry, or municipal purposes. If you have a permitted well, we also ask that you complete the annual water use reports that we send out. Furthermore, if you have a rain gauge provided by the District, we encourage you to submit monthly rainfall reports (although nearly all gauge owners already do so!).

If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us at 325-597-2785, email hickoryuwcd@yahoo.com or visit us on Facebook – just search for Hickory UWCD.