It began in 1956 with a group of water treatment dealers originally established as the Canadian Association of Water Conditioning (CAWC) came together for the purpose of:

Conduct meetings to deal with common and shared operator issues
Improve the standing of water conditioning operators in their community and within the industry (includes educating and certifying water quality professionals and sharing latest technical and scientific information acquired through laboratory testing and research studies through newsletters and special publications)
Provide public/consumer education on the industry and foster and stimulate public demand for conditioned water (promote an individual’s right to quality water)
Create a forum among members and non-members to share industry information and useful business practices, methods and procedures
Create co-operative services for the mutual benefit of the operators
To establish objectives which are recognized as proper and lawful objectives of trade associations consistent with both public and industry interest (including promoting the growth of the water quality improvement industry)

CWQA received its federal charter as a national trade association in 1960!

In 1975, the CAWC merged with the Canadian Water Conditioning Manufacturers Association (CWCMA), their sister manufacturer’s association, to form what is CWQA (the Canadian Water Quality Association) today. The intention of the group was to:

Create a single Canadian voice for water treatment dealers, manufacturers and stakeholders within the water treatment industry
Assist all levels of government in understanding our industry and serve as a unified voice in government and public relations and staying in close contact with federal regulatory and legislative officials (not only warning of impending legislation but also acting before laws are passed)
Deliver clean safe water to all Canadians

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