Water Quality Benefit Accounting (WQBA)

Guidance for Implementing, Evaluating, and Claiming Water Quality Benefits of Water Stewardship Projects

By World Resources Institute (WRI), LimnoTech, and The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

September 18, 2025

Corporate water stewardship has long focused on volumes, yet water quality concerns are rising on the agendas of both the public and private sectors.

Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting (VWBA) has supported the private sector with valuing the volumetric water outputs of water stewardship activities, but comparable guidance has been lacking for water quality projects. Water Quality Benefit Accounting (WQBA) was developed to provide companies with voluntary and nonprescriptive guidance on selecting from a variety of water stewardship activities that address shared water challenges and determining the indicators and methods that are appropriate for quantifying, tracking, and communicating the activities’ water quality benefits.