We reach more people, faster when we do it together.

At the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST), we believe in a world where people have the opportunity to succeed because their basic water and sanitation needs have been met.

CAWST is a Canadian charity and licensed not-for-profit professional engineering consultancy. We teach people how to bring safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene into their homes, schools and clinics by using simple, affordable technologies.

Since our organization started in 2001, we've helped 50 million people around the world improve their lives with clean water, and better sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and we plan to grow that number to 100 million people by 2030.

At the core of CAWST’s effective model for sustainable solutions is education and behavior change. We teach people in organizations around the world about WASH, and support them as they pass that knowledge on to their local community. By training the trainers in their communities, our partners accelerate progress towards our goal.

Our unique approach transforms WASH research and technical knowledge into easily understandable information. We specialize in reaching community leaders and decision makers implementing change in their local communities. When this happens, water knowledge quickly becomes common knowledge.

CAWST makes connections and builds trust around the world by providing services to thousands of international non-governmental organizations, local civil society organizations, governments, and United Nations agencies. We strives for this diverse mix of local organizations because  they know best how to reach their communities.

Decades of global experience have taught us: we reach more people, faster when we do it together.

For example:

• In Chiapas, Mexico, CAWST, with our partners, train schoolteachers how to properly harvest rainwater, so their students have access to clean drinking water throughout the day, keeping them healthy and safe and allowing them to focus on their studies.

• In Kampala, Uganda, CAWST along with local partners, educate the population on how to properly empty latrines and pit toilets, preventing contamination of the water supply by disease-causing bacteria.

• In Chocó, Colombia, CAWST teaches local not-for-profit organizations in remote communities on how to properly chlorinate their drinking water, ensuring that even migrant families on the move don’t get sick from drinking contaminated water.

• In Southern India, CAWST works with local partners to develop innovative sanitation solutions, like community toilet rehabilitation, and mobile fecal sludge treatment units, to prevent deadly diseases from spreading.

CAWST has helped people in over 200 countries, with training and workshops, consulting support and our online library of practical  tools and training materials.

With the support of our partners, CAWST saves lives, but we never do it alone. We rely on the financial support of our community to do the work we need to do.

Help CAWST help 100 million people with safe water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. 

Want to learn more about the work that our team does with partners around the world? Be the first to receive updates and learn from our staff as they travel worldwide providing training and consulting to help organizations, communities and individuals access safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Subscribe now.