The Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) is an offshoot from the Annual Caribbean Water Engineers Conference first held in the sixties at the University of the West Indies (St. Augustine Campus), and later on a biennial basis with rotational hosting.

By the eighties, with the growing development of water and wastewater systems in the Caribbean and the accompanying institutional strengthening and human resource development, it became increasingly clear that West Indian countries were ready for greater technical cooperation programes and the development of networking at the regional level.

Although there were resolutions in Antigua (1985) and in Tortola, BVI (1986)1 it was at the 16th Water Engineers Conference In Grenada (1987) that the PAHO Area Environmental Health Engineer for the Caribbean, Ronald A- William of Trinidad and Tobago, volunteered to carry out foundation preliminaries and other easentials. And this was done.