Its primary role is to prepare Standards through an open process of consultation and consensus in which all interested parties from a variety of industries are invited to participate. There are currently over 6,000 Standards maintained by approximately 9,000 voluntary experts serving on around 1,700 technical committees, supported by a full-time staff of 280. The Society also has several Sub-Committees working with Standards Australia to assist in the preparation of Committee Drafts. Air Pollution Measurement Manual A Guide to Sampling and Analysis contains many relevant Australian Standards on Air Quality.
Membership is multi-disciplinary and drawn from all sections of the water industry.
Funding is derived from subscriptions and association activities. As the leading water industry association in Australia, AWA attempts to inform the debate and improve the performance of all sections of the water industry. Since its formation in 1962, AWA has grown to a membership of more than 3,500. AWA is a federation of autonomous branches that hold local meetings, convene regional conferences, arrange site visits and provide opportunities to improve networking between members. The national affairs of the association are managed by a Federal Council, on which all eight Branches are represented.