Water Quality Benefit Accounting Guidebook

This guidebook serves as a comprehensive resource for implementing, evaluating, and claiming water quality benefits associated with water stewardship projects. It addresses the increasing need for corporate water stewardship to focus on water quality alongside volumetric considerations. The guide outlines a six-step process for Water Quality Benefit Accounting (WQBA), which includes understanding local catchment contexts, identifying potential project activities and partners, quantifying water quality benefits (WQBs), planning, implementing projects, and preparing for communications about WQBs. The guidance is designed to be applicable across various sectors and types of water pollutants, providing nonprescriptive and principle-based recommendations. It aims to assist corporate practitioners in making credible water quality claims and ensuring their investments yield significant water quality outcomes. This guidebook also emphasizes the importance of aligning water stewardship activities with broader environmental and public health goals, reflecting a shift in corporate commitments towards improving water quality and watershed health.