Australian Water Association

What Australian Water Association does

The Australian Water Association (AWA), legally The Australian Water Association Limited, is a 60-year-old not-for-profit industry association and Australia's largest water network. Founded in 1965 and operating from Chatswood, NSW with 51-100 employees, AWA provides water-sector collaboration, advocacy, and professional development to water utilities, engineering consultancies, environmental services firms, government authorities, academia, and individual water professionals. Its branch network covers all Australian states and territories (ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA) plus IWAA, and its named Principal Members include Sydney Water, Melbourne Water, AECOM, Arcadis, Aurecon, GHD, Jacobs, Stantec, WSP, Veolia, Suez, Xylem, and more than a dozen other major water-sector organisations. The association is member-owned and member-governed, with no parent company, no external equity, and no public listing.

AWA's core product is Indigo, a proprietary digital knowledge and learning management platform hosting on-demand access to recorded sessions, courses, webinars, podcasts, magazine archives, and industry resources across a comprehensive water-sector taxonomy. Other major products and programs include Ozwater (the annual/biennial flagship water conference and exhibition), Careers in Water (a sector-specific jobs board), National Water Week (an October public awareness campaign), the Australian Water Awards (state and national recognition), the Water e-Journal, the Australian Water Directory (a B2B digital marketplace), 11 Specialist Networks spanning disciplines such as Asset Management and Desalination, the Young Water Professionals program, a Mentoring Program, a Graduate Program - Water, the Circular Water Taskforce, an International Program, and a Member Hub portal for authenticated member access. The association also publishes a Reconciliation Action Plan and runs ad hoc webinars and workshops.

AWA's revenue model combines individual and corporate membership subscriptions with event registration fees, sponsorships, and exhibition fees. Event registration is tiered by membership status and concession eligibility, with observed pricing ranging from approximately $35 (TAS YWP Traditional Fire Workshop, Concession Member) to $980 (NSW State Conference 2026 Non-Member Standard Full), and major conferences carry tiered sponsorship opportunities (Principal, Gold, Silver). Sponsorship arrangements with third parties such as Veolia, Vinidex, and Xylem provide brand visibility and help keep membership fees low. As a not-for-profit, AWA is governed by its members rather than by external shareholders, and the association is not capital-raise-funded.

Name

Australian Water Association

Legal name

The Australian Water Association Limited

Website

https://awa.asn.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Australian Water Association is a 60-year-old not-for-profit industry association and Australia's largest water network, providing membership, advocacy, professional development, and the Indigo digital knowledge platform for water utilities, consultancies, government, and individual water professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Leonards

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: AWA generates revenue through individual and corporate membership subscriptions, providing access to member benefits including the Indigo platform, Water e-Journal, networking, professional development, and awards programs.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue is generated from registration fees for conferences (Ozwater, NSW State Conference, TAS Where the Waters Meet, YWP Conference, etc.), workshops, seminars, and site tours. Early-bird and standard pricing tiers are offered.
3. Sponsorships: As a not-for-profit organisation, AWA enters into sponsorship arrangements with third parties. Sponsors provide financial support in exchange for brand visibility at events and on platforms, which helps keep membership fees low.
4. Exhibition and Sponsorship Fees: Exhibition and sponsorship fees at major conferences (NSW State Conference, TAS Where the Waters Meet, etc.) represent a significant revenue stream, with tiered sponsorship opportunities (Principal Sponsor, Gold Sponsor, Silver Sponsor, etc.).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

The Australian Water Association is a not-for-profit industry membership association that delivers water-sector collaboration, advocacy and professional development for individuals and organisations across Australia. Its core commercial offerings are individual and corporate membership subscriptions, paid event registration (conferences, workshops, site tours), the Ozwater national conference and exhibition, exhibition and sponsorship packages, and the Indigo digital knowledge and learning platform. The Australian Water Directory and Careers in Water operate as supporting marketplace and jobs-board channels, while 11 Specialist Networks, branch committees, the Young Water Professionals program, the Mentoring Program, the Graduate Program and the International Program structure member engagement across disciplines.

Product overview

Australian Water Association (AWA) operates as a professional membership organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs, platforms and events for Australia's water sector. The core platform is Indigo, a digital knowledge hub providing access to events, magazines, journals, webinars, podcasts and professional development content. Key programs include Ozwater (annual conference), Careers in Water (job board), National Water Week (public awareness), and Australian Water Awards (recognition). Supporting offerings include Specialist Networks (11 topic areas), Young Water Professionals program, Mentoring Program, Graduate Program, International Program, and Circular Water Taskforce. The association also publishes the Water e-Journal and maintains an Australian Water Directory marketplace. AWA serves members through the Member Hub portal, connecting water professionals across disciplines including scientists, engineers, planners, operators, consultants, academics, researchers, and policymakers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Indigo: Your water resources and knowledge platform — a digital platform for water insights, journals, and industry resources.
• Ozwater
• Careers in Water

Products and services

• Indigo Knowledge Platform Proprietary digital platform offering on-demand access to water-sector conference recordings, courses, webinars, podcasts, magazine archives and reference materials organised by a comprehensive water industry taxonomy, available to AWA members.
• Ozwater Conference and Exhibition Annual flagship water industry conference and exhibition showcasing innovations and expertise across Australia's water sector, with paid registration, exhibition booths and tiered sponsorship packages.
• Careers in Water Jobs Board Digital jobs board platform aggregating water industry employment opportunities from multiple employers, supporting talent acquisition for the water sector.
• National Water Week Annual community awareness campaign held every October to inspire individuals, communities and organisations to value water.
• Australian Water Awards Recognition program at state and national levels for individuals and organisations achieving inspiring projects driving a sustainable water future.
• Water e-Journal Digital journal providing water industry research and insights to AWA members.
• Australian Water Directory Digital marketplace connecting water professionals with water sector product and service providers, providing B2B discovery and referral.
• Member Hub Member-only portal providing authenticated access to exclusive resources, member services and AWA publications including e-newsletters.
• AWA Mentoring Program Professional mentorship initiative connecting experienced water professionals with emerging talent across the sector.
• Young Water Professionals (YWP) Program Professional development and networking program for early-career water sector professionals, including the AWA/IWA Young Water Professionals Conference, specialist events and mentoring.
• AWA Specialist Networks Eleven member communities sharing water management knowledge and expertise across specialty areas including Asset Management and Desalination.
• AWA Graduate Program - Water Entry-level professional development program supporting graduates transitioning into the water industry.
• AWA International Program Program connecting water professionals through international aid and trade partnerships, sharing Australian water expertise and technology globally.
• Circular Water Taskforce Industry taskforce focused on advancing circular economy principles in water resource management.
• NSW State Conference 2026 Paid AWA NSW state water industry conference with member, concession and non-member registration tiers, site tour add-on and welcome networking function.
• TAS YWP Traditional Fire Workshop Paid professional development workshop for AWA YWPs covering Indigenous traditional fire and cultural burning practices in Tasmania.

Named customers27 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• International Water Association (IWA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWA co-hosts the annual AWA/IWA Young Water Professionals Conference and Ball, a flagship joint event combining professional development, networking, and celebration for emerging water sector leaders across Australia and internationally.
• TasFarm Innovation HubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTasFarm Innovation Hub sponsored the TAS YWP Traditional Fire Workshop, supporting Indigenous knowledge sharing and cultural engagement within the Tasmanian water professional community.
• Patrula Nayri (Jason Andrew Smith)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTraditional Fire Practitioner and Palawa man Jason Andrew Smith partnered with AWA to deliver the Traditional Fire Workshop, providing cultural burning education as part of AWA's professional development programming for YWPs.
• Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWA and WSAA co-host the National Reconciliation Week Webinar, collaborating on advancing reconciliation through action, partnership, and shared initiatives within Australia's water sector.
• Social Media Platforms (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAWA maintains active profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Flickr to communicate with members and the public, distribute content, and promote events. These social networking services are used for community engagement and demand generation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat8 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/australianwater
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/australianwaterTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/australianwater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-water-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/australianwaterassociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Australian Water Association