Queensland Water Directorate
Queensland Water Directorate (qldwater) is a non-profit industry body coordinating advisory, advocacy, data, and skills programs for Queensland's 73 registered urban water and sewerage service providers, operating as a business unit of IPWEA-QNT since 2003.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersEagle Farm, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Queensland Water Directorate does
Queensland Water Directorate (qldwater) is a non-profit industry advisory and advocacy body established in 2003 as a business unit of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia Queensland (IPWEA-QNT). It operates as the central coordinating body for Queensland's urban water and sewerage service providers, holding 73 full members in 2024-25 — representing 100% coverage of the state's registered urban water service providers, including 52 non-Indigenous councils, 15 Aboriginal Shire Councils, 2 Torres Strait Island Council service providers, and 4 statutory authorities (Unitywater, Urban Utilities, Gladstone Area Water Board, and Mount Isa Water Board).
qldwater's core technology portfolio centers on the SWIM (Statewide Water Information Management) platform, a trademarked regulatory and business reporting and benchmarking tool used by member utilities and councils to satisfy State and Commonwealth reporting obligations, with a SWIMlocal Mapboards Module launched in 2025. Supplementary digital assets include watertraining.com.au, hosting Aqua, Brown, Green, Grey, and Teal Card training courses, and the Queensland Water Careers portal. Non-software programs include QWRAP (Queensland Water Regional Alliances Program) covering 9 regional alliances and 2 emerging regions, the Water Skills Partnership with 50+ subscribing councils, SWEAP (environmental advisory panel), and qCRAC (research consortium on contaminants of emerging concern).
Revenue is generated through two primary streams: recurring membership fees from the 73 full member organizations plus affiliate members, and government contracts and grants, most notably the Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor contract with Queensland's Department of Finance, Trade, Employment and Training (valued at $17M over 3 years). The organization operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees, suggesting revenue is leveraged through partnerships with registered training organizations (Water Training Australia, Simmonds & Bristow, TRILITY) and member councils for program delivery. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, consistent with its non-profit, membership-based model.
Queensland Water Directorate firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Queensland Water Directorate
- Legal name
- Queensland Water Directorate
- Website
- https://qldwater.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Queensland Water Directorate (qldwater) is a non-profit industry body coordinating advisory, advocacy, data, and skills programs for Queensland's 73 registered urban water and sewerage service providers, operating as a business unit of IPWEA-QNT since 2003.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Queensland Water Directorate industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Industry Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)
Keywords
Where Queensland Water Directorate is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Eagle Farm
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Queensland Water Directorate business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: qldwater generates revenue through membership fees from registered urban water service providers in Queensland, including local government councils, statutory authorities, and affiliate members.
- Government Contracts and Grants: qldwater receives funding through government contracts including the Queensland Water Regional Alliance Program (QWRAP) partnership with Queensland Government and LGAQ, and operates as an Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor contracted by Queensland Department of Finance, Trade, Employment and Training.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Queensland Water Directorate product offering
Product offeringCore offering
qldwater is a not-for-profit industry advisory body that coordinates advocacy, data reporting, and skills programs for Queensland's urban water and sewerage service providers. It operates a portfolio of programs including SWIM for statewide regulatory reporting and benchmarking, QWRAP for regional collaboration, the Water Skills Partnership for workforce development, SWEAP for environmental advisory, and qCRAC for contaminants research, delivered alongside an online training platform and member resource library.
Product overview
Queensland Water Directorate (qldwater) is a business unit of IPWEA-QNT serving as the central advisory and advocacy body for Queensland's urban water industry. Rather than a single unified product, qldwater operates a portfolio of interconnected programs addressing industry needs: SWIM provides regulatory reporting infrastructure; QWRAP facilitates regional collaboration; the Water Skills Partnership addresses workforce development with training programs including the Water Industry Worker Program and Operator Certification; SWEAP and qCRAC handle environmental and contaminant research respectively. Supporting platforms include watertraining.com.au for online courses (Aqua, Brown, Green, Grey, Teal Cards), the Queensland Water Careers portal, and the Water Workforce Toolbox providing operational resources. The organization connects Queensland's 73+ water service providers through these coordinated initiatives rather than selling a traditional software product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SWIM (Statewide Water Information Management) A regulatory and business reporting and benchmarking tool that simplifies reporting of water and sewerage data from utilities and Councils as required by State and Commonwealth agencies.
- QWRAP (Queensland Water Regional Alliances Program) An industry-led initiative supporting sustainable regional collaboration on water and sewerage services across regional Queensland, currently spanning nine regional groups and two emerging regions.
- Water Skills Partnership An award-winning industry collaboration of more than 50 Councils addressing critical workforce skills needs in the urban water sector through operator mentoring, regional training cohorts, and skills development initiatives.
- SWEAP (Sewerage and Water Environmental Advisory Panel) An expert panel providing advice on environmental management and regulation and fostering collaboration on joint submissions on policy issues affecting urban sewage and water.
- qCRAC (qldwater Consortium for Research and Advocacy on Contaminants) A partnership among Queensland Service Providers focused on research and policy on contaminants of emerging concern.
- Water Training Website (watertraining.com.au) Online training resource hosting the Aqua, Brown, Green, Grey and Teal Card courses developed by the industry for the water sector and contractors that service it.
- Queensland Water Careers A career platform initiative of the Water Skills Partnership promoting career pathways and opportunities in the urban water and sewerage industry in Queensland.
- Operator Certification Program National certification framework for water treatment operators covering Drinking Water, Wastewater and Recycled Water with Registered Professional Operator recognition.
- Water Industry Worker Program A program focused on formal recognition of skills for water industry employees in civil construction and maintenance, offering Certificate II or III in Water Operations.
- Chemical Concoctions An initiative of qCRAC that informs the community about chemicals of emerging concern in homes and provides advice on reducing exposure.
Quantifiable outcome
- 73 full members (100% coverage of registered urban water service providers)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Queensland Water Directorate
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Queensland Water Directorate technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Queensland Water Directorate partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- IPWEA-QNT (Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia Queensland)coreqldwater is a business unit of IPWEA-QNT. The Directorate was founded by IPWEAQ in 2003 as a discrete industry group dedicated to Queensland urban water industry development and support with a strong technical focus.
- LGAQ (Local Government Association Queensland)coreLGAQ is a key partner in the Queensland Water Regional Alliance Program (QWRAP), a partnership between Queensland Government, qldwater and LGAQ to support local government in sustainable delivery of water and sewerage services in regional Queensland.
- Queensland GovernmentcoreQueensland Government partners with qldwater and LGAQ through QWRAP and provides funding through the Department of Finance, Trade, Employment and Training for the Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor program.
- WIOA (Water Industry Operations Association of Australia)majorWIOA is the certifying body for water industry operator registration and qldwater co-sponsors the Young Operator of the Year and Operator of the Year awards at WIOA Queensland Conference. WIOA also developed the Technical Competency Handbook with qldwater support.
- AWA (Australian Water Association)majorAWA hosts National Water Week and qldwater collaborates on Water Literacy and Education initiatives including the 'Ready for Floods' game-based learning adapted from US National Academy of Sciences' Extreme Event game.
- WSAA (Water Services Association of Australia)minorWSAA is listed as a linked industry association on qldwater's website, representing national water industry connections.
- Seqwaterminorqldwater works closely with Seqwater through the Queensland Water Skills Partnership to address workforce development needs.
- BuildSkills Australia (Jobs and Skills Council)majorBuildSkills Australia is the Jobs and Skills Council for construction, property and water industries. qldwater represents Queensland's water issues nationally with BuildSkills and contributes to the Water Sector Workforce Roadmap.
- Urban UtilitiesmajorUrban Utilities, Queensland's largest Water Service Provider, provided expert Occupational Hygiene advice that was instrumental in securing the HPWJ (High-Pressure Water Jetting) exemption for the Queensland water sector until 2030, in collaboration with qldwater, the regulator, and unions.
- VeoliaminorContractor engaged by Urban Utilities that contributed expert Occupational Hygiene advice for the HPWJ exemption research.
- WSP (Engineering Firm)minorContractor engaged by Urban Utilities that contributed expert Occupational Hygiene advice for the HPWJ exemption research.
- Water Training AustraliamajorRegistered Training Organisation (RTO) delivering National Water Training Package qualifications including Certificate II-IV Water Operations, with blended online and face-to-face delivery across Queensland.
- Simmonds & BristowmajorRegistered Training Organisation (RTO) offering face-to-face, correspondence and blended training for National Water Training Package qualifications including Diploma Water Industry Operations.
- TRILITYmajorRegistered Training Organisation (RTO) delivering National Water Training Package qualifications and chlorine training courses across Queensland.
- Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee (MRCCC)minorMRCCC delivers integrated catchment management in collaboration with local councils, operating the Waterwatch citizen science program with 80+ volunteers collecting data across 10 networks for 25+ years.
- Water TechnologyminorEnvironmental consultancy working with qldwater on water sensitive community transitions and research into planning engagement from household to state level.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Queensland Water Directorate competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Water New Zealand: New Zealand's peak water industry association representing water suppliers and the broader water sector. Comparable to qldwater because both are membership-funded industry associations providing advocacy, training, events, and recognition programs to municipal water service providers, but it serves a different national jurisdiction.
- Water UK: UK industry body representing water and wastewater service companies. Comparable to qldwater because it is a membership association providing industry representation, research, and policy advocacy for water service providers, although it operates in a different regulatory/structural environment (privatised UK utilities vs. public utilities).
Broad incumbents
- Australian Water Association (AWA): Australia's largest water industry association covering the full water sector from utilities to researchers and engineers. Comparable to qldwater because both run events, awards, training content and policy advocacy; AWA's broader national membership and Water Week programming partially overlap with qldwater's Water Connections Week.
- American Water Works Association (AWWA): Large international nonprofit providing standards, education, and advocacy for the drinking water sector. Comparable to qldwater because both deliver advocacy, training content, and technical resources to water utilities, although AWWA is far larger, operates across North America, and offers more developed commercial standards and certification products.
- Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA): Australia's national water utility industry association representing water service providers and product/service providers. Highly comparable to qldwater because both serve as industry advocacy bodies for urban water, but WSAA operates nationally and to larger/utility members rather than state-specific council providers.
Direct peers
- Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ): Qld peak body representing Queensland councils and partner with qldwater on QWRAP. Directly comparable because LGAQ serves many of the same local-government water service providers and jointly delivers advocacy, training, and capacity-building programs to member councils.
- BuildSkills Australia: Jobs and Skills Council for construction, property and water industries that qldwater works with on the Water Sector Workforce Roadmap. Comparable because both shape national water-industry training policy and skills frameworks, although BuildSkills sets national policy while qldwater implements within Queensland.
- Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA): National certification body for water industry operators that co-hosts the Young Operator and Operator of the Year awards with qldwater and jointly developed the Technical Competency Handbook. Directly comparable because both focus on operator training, certification, and industry recognition in the urban water sector.
- IPWEA Australasia (Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia): National peak body for public works engineering of which IPWEA-QNT is the Queensland division and parent of qldwater. Directly comparable because IPWEA provides technical/operational resources and advocacy to local-government infrastructure and engineering professionals, including water-related infrastructure.
Emerging players
- Water Environment Federation (WEF): International organisation focused on water quality and wastewater professionals. Comparable to qldwater because both run training, certification, and member programs, but WEF is more research- and technical-publication oriented while qldwater is more operational/administrative support for councils.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Queensland Water Directorate social profiles
Digital presenceQueensland Water Directorate financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Queensland Water Directorate leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Queensland Water Directorate funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Queensland Water Directorate M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Queensland Water Directorate
What does Queensland Water Directorate do?
qldwater is a not-for-profit industry advisory body that coordinates advocacy, data reporting, and skills programs for Queensland's urban water and sewerage service providers. It operates a portfolio of programs including SWIM for statewide regulatory reporting and benchmarking, QWRAP for regional collaboration, the Water Skills Partnership for workforce development, SWEAP for environmental advisory, and qCRAC for contaminants research, delivered alongside an online training platform and member resource library.
Is Queensland Water Directorate a public or private company?
Queensland Water Directorate is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Queensland Water Directorate founded?
Queensland Water Directorate was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Queensland Water Directorate based?
Queensland Water Directorate is headquartered in Eagle Farm, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Queensland Water Directorate make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are government Contracts and Grants.
Who are Queensland Water Directorate's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Water New Zealand and Water UK. Broad incumbents are Australian Water Association (AWA), American Water Works Association (AWWA) and Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA). Direct peers are Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ), BuildSkills Australia, Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA) and IPWEA Australasia (Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia). Water Environment Federation (WEF) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Queensland Water Directorate have an API?
No public API is recorded for Queensland Water Directorate.
What industry is Queensland Water Directorate in?
Queensland Water Directorate's product category is Water Industry Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAD, Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting. Its NAICS code is 22131 and its SIC code is 4941.