Certification

Certification demonstrates that a site has successfully completed each of the five steps in the AWS Standard. Certificated sites tell us that achieving AWS certification brings demonstrable benefits in regards to relationships with customers, increased investor confidence, strengthened social license to operate, brand perception and dialogue with regulators and policy makers.

Why get certified?

AWS certification is confirmation of having met the global benchmark for responsible water stewardship.  Only with certification can organisations and businesses provide the assurance to external and internal stakeholders that your claims of good water stewardship are credible. Certified sites use their AWS Standard certification to demonstrate the efficacy of their water stewardship practices to a range of audiences, such as retail customers, wholesalers, consumers, government agencies, regulators, NGO’s, local civil society organisations, local communities, investors and development financiers, and more. 

Is my site suitable for AWS certification?

The AWS Standard is applicable to all water using sites, regardless of size, location and operational complexity. The focus of the AWS Standard is the operational site and its local catchments, but with a broader goal to include indirect water use in its supply chain. In addition to individual site certification, group or multi-site certification are offered under the AWS Standard.

Certification of group or multi-site operations may be considered for sites where the main production systems, water management systems, and product or service range are considered homogenous. These options may be more effective and enable sites to share knowledge and resources to collaborate in collective actions more effectively.

To find our more about which certification may be right for your site, please contact AWS.

6 steps to certification 

1. Familiarise your site with the AWS Standard (download for free) and get in touch with AWS to discuss how to begin your water stewardship journey.
2. Sign up for AWS Standard System Training. This is a good entry point to water stewardship and the AWS Standard System.
3. Complete and submit the site registration form on the ‘Register your site with AWS’ page.*
4. Implement the AWS Standard, either alone or with an AWS Professionally Credentialed individual.
5. Get your site audited with Water Stewardship Assurance Services (WSAS), the sole mission-driven assurance provider for the AWS Standard System, and address any gaps highlighted.*
6. Once audited and found to be in conformance with the AWS Standard, your site is awarded AWS certification!

*These steps are required to achieve AWS certification.

Core, Gold and Platinum

There are three levels of AWS Standard certification that a site may achieve: Core, Gold and Platinum. All core criteria must be met as a minimum requirement for certification. Additional points are awarded for performance against the Advanced Indicators. The greater the number of points achieved the higher the level of water stewardship performance and AWS certification.

Advanced Indicators and higher-level certification were introduced to recognise that good water stewards seek continual improvement and commit to ongoing action to respond to the ever-evolving nature of local water context. Gold and Platinum status recognises sites that push their water stewardship performance to higher levels.

The advanced points required for each certification level are:

AWS Core: 0 – 39 points

AWS Gold: 40 – 79 points

AWS Platinum: 80 or more points

A site’s certificate is valid for three years, subject to successful annual surveillance audits.

Still have questions about AWS certification?

Please get in touch with us to find out more.