Our History

During the Australian Millennium Drought, major water users came under intense scrutiny. Communities facing severe water shortages began calling for responsible water use in industry, agriculture, commerce, and recreation. Water users realised that they needed to demonstrate that their water consumption was not causing harm, and realised that they have a role to play in the equitable distribution of water resources.

It was during these lean and dry years that water stewardship was first conceived. In 2007, a group of diverse stakeholders came together to workshop what was known as the water stewardship concept. Water utilities, businesses, financial institutions, and communities agreed that there was a need for responsible water use with positive triple bottom line (social/cultural, environmental, economic) outcomes.

The workshop was a success, and water stewardship started to gain traction. Several prominent organisations began working together to form an international committee of experts responsible for building a new standard for water stewardship. As the water stewardship concept grew into a robust framework for action and verification, so did the need for leadership in the water stewardship system.

Water Stewardship Australia Ltd (trading as Water Stewardship Asia Pacific, WSAP) was incorporated in 2010 to lead water stewardship growth and uptake in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

WSAP is a not-for-profit membership organisation registered with the Australian Charity and Not-for-profit Commission, with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. WSAP is led by a Board of Directors elected by our members.