Campbell provided in 2021 an earlier report on Mars hydrogeology of possible interest, pursuant to his intent expressed in a recent publication (here). Risner reported in mid-1988 that the "recent" advances in space science have now made it possible to construct models of the existence, volume, and hydrologic cycle of the groundwater of the planet Mars. Outgassing models of water vapor indicate that the surface of Mars should be covered with water to a depth of 10 to 100 meters (1.4 X 1015 to 1.4 X 1016 m3 ). Geomorphic evidence suggests a depth of at least 500 meters (7 X 1016 m3 ) of water should occur over much of the planet, yet no surface water, other than glacial ice at the poles (2.3 X 1015 to 9 X 1015 m3 ), exists today.
Martian gravity, though only 40 percent of Earth's, would keep water from escaping the planet. A survey of surface and atmospheric water volumes indicates that the majority of water, 1.2 X 1016 to 6 X 1016 m3, is hidden as groundwater. [The depth to the water table will depend on local elevation and other factors. Aside from the poles, groundwater should be relatively shallow below the Valles Marineris.]
[Preliminary] hydrologic cycle models indicate that Mars has an active but near static hydrologic cycle, dominated by groundwater discharge in desert lowlands and water recharge at the ice-covered poles. Groundwater flow plays a major role in this system. The hypothesis that water exists or has existed on the planet Mars is not new. The concept of Martian canals was first proposed by Giovanni Schiaparelli in 1879. In the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, with the aid of powerful telescopes, it became possible to view what was then interpreted as seasonal changes in Martian vegetation. The polar regions of Mars showed what appeared to be ice and snow which waxed and waned with Martian winter and summer [This interpretation was likely the result of seasonal dust storm on Mars]. Yet, even with the most powerful telescopes, no surface water could be seen. Light from the Martian atmosphere, when spectrally analyzed, showed only little water vapor or traces of carbon dioxide.
By the 1950s, Mars was concluded to be a lifeless planet. If water had existed on Mars, all moisture was believed to be trapped at the poles and mixed with frozen carbon dioxide: a desert world of little interest (Sagan, 1980). This conclusion, based on Earth-bound observation, held until exploratory spacecraft began to photograph and then land on the planet in the late 1960s and mid-1970s. The abundance of data returned to Earth from these spacecraft along with new theories about the origin of the planets have called for a new understanding of the origin and fate of water on Mars.
[Google search results indicate an increasing interest in the hydrogeology of Mars and drilling continues, albeit very shallow. Also see the search reuslts of the I2M Web Portal for "Mars groundwater" (here)].
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