Join us in the journey to create a community-driven groundwater protection plan to safeguard our drinking water and strengthen groundwater governance for generations to come.
Shelby County has a unique entity: The Ground Water Quality Control Board.
Through a series of ordinances and contracts between 1987-1990, Shelby County, Memphis, Millington, Bartlett, Germantown, Arlington, and Collierville all agreed to expand the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) Water Quality Division and establish the Groundwater Board to “secure, protect, and preserve the quality and quantity of groundwater.”
For decades, Memphis has relied on one of the nation’s most valuable drinking water sources—the Memphis Sand Aquifer—yet protections have not kept pace with growing threats. While a Groundwater Protection Plan was first mentioned in the 1987 ordinance, implementation has been inconsistent and under-resourced.
At the same time, emerging risks—from industrial contamination to landfill expansion and increased development in recharge zones—have made clear that proactive, coordinated action is urgently needed.
Shelby County has a unique entity: The Ground Water Quality Control Board.
Through a series of ordinances and contracts between 1987-1990, Shelby County, Memphis, Millington, Bartlett, Germantown, Arlington, and Collierville all agreed to expand the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) Water Quality Division and establish the Groundwater Board to “secure, protect, and preserve the quality and quantity of groundwater.”
For decades, Memphis has relied on one of the nation’s most valuable drinking water sources—the Memphis Sand Aquifer—yet protections have not kept pace with growing threats. While a Groundwater Protection Plan was first mentioned in the 1987 ordinance, implementation has been inconsistent and under-resourced.
At the same time, emerging risks—from industrial contamination to landfill expansion and increased development in recharge zones—have made clear that proactive, coordinated action is urgently needed.
Shelby County is the only county in Tennessee with the authority to manage groundwater.
The Blue Print: Guidance for Collaborative Aquifer Protection
Groundwater Board meeting documents and minutes
Visit our YouTube channel and playlist for all the recorded meetings
Protect Our Aquifer released The Blue Print: Guidance for Collaborative Aquifer Protection in Shelby County in April 2026 to meet this moment: aligning policy, funding, science, and community engagement into a unified strategy for long-term aquifer protection.
The Blue Print is a forward-looking framework designed to modernize how Memphis and Shelby County protect groundwater. It builds on existing regulations while introducing practical, scalable solutions that reflect today’s challenges.
At its core, The Blue Print:
This is not a plan that starts from scratch—it’s a roadmap to fully activate and sustain the protections we've seen work across the country.
