The predecessor of the NWRB is the National Water Resources Council (“NWRC”), which was created in 1974 under Presidential Decree No.

Under the said decree, the NWRB is tasked among others, to Coordinate and integrate water resource development activities of the country; formulate general criteria, methods and standards for data collection, project investigation, formulation, planning design and feasibility evaluation, and rules and regulations for the exploitation and optimum utilization of water resources; Review and approve water resource development plans and programs of other agencies; undertake river basin surveys, inventories and appraisals, and develop comprehensive basin-wide plans of storage and control to maximize the conservation and multipurpose use of water; and undertake hydrologic surveys and establish, operate and maintain observation station networks and centralized water resources data center; and conduct and/or promote special studies and researches with other government or agencies on related aspects of water resources development.

In 1977, the Board of Power and Waterworks (BPW) was abolished pursuant to Presidential Decree No.

The function of the BPW that were inherited from the Public Service Commission as regards waterworks systems were later transferred to the NWRB, instituting the NWRB as an “economic regulator”[This quote needs a citation] of waterworks systems.

In the same executive order, the membership of the NWRB Board was changed to its present composition.