Water Quality association

What Water Quality association does

The Water Quality Association (WQA) is a not-for-profit international trade association founded in 1973 and headquartered in Lisle, Illinois, representing more than 2,500 manufacturers, suppliers, and dealers in the residential, commercial, industrial, and small-community water treatment industry. The organization's core service is third-party product certification through its Gold Seal program (operating since 1959 and accredited by ANSI and SCC), which validates that water treatment products perform as claimed. WQA also administers a portfolio of professional certifications for water treatment practitioners, including Certified Water Specialist (CWS), Master Water Specialist (MWS), Certified Water Treatment Representative (CWR), Certified Service Technician (CST), Certified Treatment Designer (CTD), and Certified Installer (CI) credentials, with these programs operating in standardized form since 1977. Supporting services include self-paced training, the PFAS Portal, a Sustainability Certification Program, consumer education via BetterWaterToday.org, and public searchable databases (Find Certified Products, Find Certified Professionals).

WQA operates the Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF), established in 1952, as an affiliated independent research arm that funds academic studies on PFAS, lead, arsenic, and POU/POE (point-of-use/point-of-entry) treatment efficacy with university partners including the University of British Columbia, University of Colorado Boulder, Purdue University, and the University of Nebraska. The organization's GTM (go-to-market) motion is sales-led and event-driven, centered on annual conventions (2026 Miami Beach, 2027 Phoenix), the WQA Radio podcast, webinars, and direct membership outreach to manufacturers, dealers, installers, and water treatment professionals. Revenue streams comprise recurring membership dues, product and professional certification fees, training program fees, event sponsorships and registration, and research contributions — with pricing not publicly disclosed. Recent strategic activity includes the creation of a VP of Product Certification and Laboratory Services role, the launch of PFAS testing capabilities and a Sustainability Certification Program, and active federal advocacy for the Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act alongside a 40+ organization coalition.

Name

Water Quality association

Legal name

Water Quality Association

Website

https://wqa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Water Quality Association is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1973 and headquartered in Lisle, Illinois, representing 2,500+ water treatment manufacturers, suppliers, and dealers worldwide. It provides ANSI/SCC-accredited Gold Seal product certification, professional credentials, training, and industry advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Treatment Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG), Water Sampling, Testing & Laboratory Analysis (Legionella/Microbiology) (BPABAJAB), Water Safety Plans, Training & Documentation (Logbooks, SOPs) (BPABAJAL), Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB)

Keywords

• Water treatment certification
• Product certification services
• Professional credentialing programs
• Industry trade association
• Water quality advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: WQA membership offers exposure to leading-edge thinking, advocacy on important regulations, and networking opportunities with industry leaders. Membership is available for manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, and water treatment professionals.
2. Product Certification Fees: Third-party product certification through Gold Seal program for water treatment products, providing consumer confidence and regulatory acceptance.
3. Professional Certification: Certification programs for water treatment professionals including Certified Water Specialist (CWS), Master Water Specialist (MWS), and other credentials.
4. Education and Training: Training programs, webinars, and professional development courses for water treatment professionals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Water Quality Association (WQA) is a not-for-profit international trade association that provides third-party product certification through its ANSI- and SCC-accredited Gold Seal program and industry-standardized professional certification (CWS, MWS, CWR, CST, CTD, CI) for water treatment professionals. It complements these certification services with membership, education and training, industry advocacy, consumer resources, and research through the affiliated Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF).

Product overview

The Water Quality Association (WQA) is a not-for-profit trade association offering a portfolio of certification, training, and research services for the residential, commercial, and industrial water treatment industry. The core offerings include the Gold Seal Product Certification Program (third-party certification for water treatment products, accredited by ANSI and SCC since 1959) and Professional Certification Programs for water treatment professionals (including CWR, CWS, CST, CTD, and CI designations since 1977). Supporting offerings include WQA Training (self-paced courses and accelerated certification pathways), consumer-facing resources like BetterWaterToday.org and Water Treatment For Dummies, the Find Certified Products searchable database, industry research products (Business Operations Report, Consumer Opinion Study), and specialized portals such as the PFAS Portal and Sustainability Certification Program. The Gold Seal certification and professional certification programs form the association's primary credentialing infrastructure, while training and research products support and extend these core certification services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gold Seal: Third-party product certification program for water treatment products, accredited by ANSI and SCC
• WQA Gold Seal
• BetterWaterToday.org
• WQA Radio / WQA Podcast

Products and services

• Gold Seal Product Certification Program
• Professional Certification Programs
• WQA Training
• WQA Sustainability Certification Program
• Find Certified Products Database
• WQA Membership
• WQA Convention & Expo
• Business Operations Benchmarking Report
• WQA Consumer Opinion Study
• PFAS Portal
• Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF) Research Program

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• NSF (NSF International)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026NSF co-sponsored PFAS surrogate research with WQRF. NSF is a leading certification body for drinking water treatment technologies and developer of NSF/ANSI standards (42, 53, 55, 58). NSF's engagement is essential for translating research findings into industry standards.
• University of Colorado BouldercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026WQRF funded research on PFAS treatment effectiveness led by Dr. Riley Mulhern. Study examines POU/POE systems in high-risk households affected by groundwater contamination from AFFF use.
• University of British ColumbiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Madjid Mohseni from UBC leads PFAS surrogate research funded by WQRF. Phase 1 identified surrogate candidates; Phase 2 will examine PFBA as a predictor for broader PFAS compounds.
• University of NebraskacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Kaycie Lane from University of Nebraska conducted WQRF-funded study on sustainability comparison of POU/POE devices vs. centralized treatment upgrades for Safe Drinking Water Act compliance.
• Purdue UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. George Zhou from Purdue University conducted independent study on retention and long-term fate of PFAS on POU/POE drinking water treatment media (activated carbon, RO membranes, ion exchange resins).
• American Water Works Association (AWWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrowing collaboration between WQA and AWWA. WQA CEO Pauli Undesser and Technical Affairs Director Eric Yeggy participated in AWWA Annual Conference and Expo. Discussed PFAS regulations, lead line replacement, and Water 2050 initiative.
• U.S. Chamber of CommercenotableGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of 40+ organizations publicly supporting the Healthy H2O Act alongside WQA.
• Rural Community Assistance PartnershipnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of 40+ organizations publicly supporting the Healthy H2O Act alongside WQA.
• National Ground Water AssociationnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of 40+ organizations publicly supporting the Healthy H2O Act alongside WQA.
• Water Systems CouncilnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of 40+ organizations publicly supporting the Healthy H2O Act alongside WQA.
• International Code CouncilnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of 40+ organizations publicly supporting the Healthy H2O Act alongside WQA.
• DigDeepnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of 40+ organizations publicly supporting the Healthy H2O Act alongside WQA.
• International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical OfficialsnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of 40+ organizations publicly supporting the Healthy H2O Act alongside WQA.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NSF International: NSF is the dominant third-party certifier of drinking water treatment products and developer of NSF/ANSI standards (42, 53, 55, 58), competing directly with WQA's Gold Seal program for product certification revenue while also co-sponsoring PFAS research with WQRF.
• American Water Works Association (AWWA): AWWA is a peer nonprofit water industry association with overlapping membership, advocacy, standards, and education portfolios. WQA and AWWA increasingly collaborate on PFAS, lead line replacement, and Water 2050, but compete for industry voice and member mindshare.
• National Ground Water Association (NGWA): NGWA represents groundwater professionals and overlaps with WQA on private well treatment, certification, and advocacy; both sit within the same advocacy coalition for the Healthy H2O Act and compete for water-treatment professional memberships.
• International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO): IAPMO develops plumbing codes and standards and offers product certification, putting it in direct competition with WQA on residential water treatment certification, code influence, and professional credentials.
• Water Systems Council (WSC): WSC is a nonprofit focused on well water systems and small community water supply, overlapping with WQA's small community segment and sharing members; both advocate on rural water issues and serve private-well homeowners.

Broad incumbents

• International Code Council (ICC): ICC is a broader standards and building code organization whose codes influence plumbing and water treatment installations. ICC sits in WQA's advocacy coalition and shapes the regulatory environment for WQA-certified products, but its scope extends well beyond water treatment.
• UL Solutions: UL is a broad testing, inspection, and certification incumbent that certifies water-related appliances and components as part of a much wider product safety portfolio, overlapping with WQA's third-party certification but at greater scale and across many industries.
• CSA Group: CSA Group is a Canadian standards and testing body that issues water-related certifications across North America, comparable to WQA's SCC-accredited Gold Seal program but operating as a broad testing and certification incumbent.

Others

• ANSI (American National Standards Institute): ANSI is the US standards accreditation body that accredits WQA's Gold Seal program. It is not a direct competitor but is the upstream accreditor whose standards and accreditations confer credibility on WQA's certification portfolio.
• ASTM International: ASTM develops technical standards that underpin water treatment testing methods referenced by both WQA and competitors. It is an adjacent standards body rather than a direct certification competitor, but shapes the technical basis for industry certification.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wqa_
• Facebookfacebook.com/waterqualityassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/water-quality-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/wqa_h2o

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Water Quality association