The OKI Groundwater Committee was formed in 1988 to advise the OKI Board on water issues and to promote coordinated groundwater management across local political boundaries and utility service areas in Southwest Ohio, where more than two-thirds of a million people rely on the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer for drinking water. The Committee involves several dozen members, including drinking water utilities, large commercial and industrial groundwater users, local health departments, planning agencies, soil and water conservationists, and representatives of state agencies with groundwater responsibilities.

Through quarterly meetings and networking, the committee shares knowledge about groundwater conditions, potential pollution threats, local groundwater management efforts, state and federal requirements, pending legislation and regulations, and best practices for source water protection. The relationships formed and the information provided help local utilities to operate more effectively and communicate more quickly about local, state and federal policies and legislation and other emerging issues. The committee is staffed by an OKI senior planner, facilitated by a chairman and vice-chairman, and led at a grass-roots level by its members, who periodically identify issues of concern and focus.