The Water Quality Association (WQA) is marking its 50^th anniversary as a trade association and leading voice of the residential, commercial and industrial water treatment industry. A new timeline on the WQA website highlights key milestones of the industry's advancement over the past five decades.

WQA was established in 1974 with the merger of the Water Conditioning Association International and the Water Conditioning Foundation, creating a single industry voice to address rapidly growing industry challenges and opportunities. Included in that merger was the Water Quality Research Council, established in 1952 and now known as the Water Quality Research Foundation.

Today, WQA has more than 2,500 member companies across the globe who work to uphold the highest principles of honesty, integrity, fair dealing and professionalism in the water quality improvement industry. They agree to follow the WQA Code of Ethics, which sets standards of conduct for their dealings with customers, among themselves, with members of related industries and the public at large.

Working with WQA, members stay on top of critical issues facing water quality around the world, inform themselves of rules and regulations affecting the industry and meet annually at the WQA Convention & Exposition. WQA also offers education and professional certifications programs and the independent WQA Gold Seal certification program, which ensures consumers they are buying products that perform as advertised.

In 1982, WQA moved into its first permanent headquarters in Lisle, Ill., just outside Chicago, signifying to the industry, regulators and lawmakers that WQA was fully invested in the future of water treatment. In 2020, WQA led efforts to have water treatment industry members deemed essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In 2021, WQA relocated its international headquarters and laboratory to an expanded, more modern facility allowing increased capacity and flexibility for product testing and more efficient membership and educational services. The new facility is only about a mile from the original site.

WQA will be calling attention to its 50-year anniversary throughout the year, especially at WQA's 2024 Convention & Exposition in Orlando, Florida, March 5-7.