The formation of Queensland Water Directorate (qldwater) was advanced by the Institute of Public Works Engineers Association Queensland (IPWEAQ), and launched at its first meeting on 28th November 2003.  The Directorate's Management Committee provides strategic direction for the organisation and is comprised of two representatives each from the IPWEAQ the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ), the Australian Water Association (AWA) and the Local Government Managers Association (LGMA).

The Queensland Water Directorate was primarily formed to assist the urban water industry in Queensland and complement the services provided by the founder organisations and other Queensland providers such as Queensland Government Departments, industry bodies, consultants and Regional Natural Resources Management bodies. The formation of the Queensland Water Directorate occurred as a response to an expressed need of the urban water industry in Queensland that was not filled by any existing body.

The Queensland Water Directorate comprises four full-time staff members; Rob Fearon - CEO, Dave Cameron - Business Development Manager, Margaret Gray - Organisational Capability Manager, Heather Gold - Executive Assistant, as well as a part time Project Manager, Regina Souter. The work priorities and technical outputs of the Directorate are overseen by a Technical Reference Group (TRG) made up of Water Managers, Chief Engineers, CEOs and Councilors from 20 Councils from around Queensland. The TRG includes representation from small, medium and large water services providers from all regions of Queensland.

The value of the Queensland Water Directorate is indicated by the high voluntary membership. With the current restructure of the Water Industry in South East Queensland and the Local Government reform process, it is difficult to tell what the future will bring, but regardless of the outcomes, qldwater is committed to supporting our members and promoting continual improvement for the water industry of Queensland.