Become a Wavemaker

Join us in our goal to reach 230 million people by 2030

A better future starts with water

Imagine a world where the single biggest barrier to a child’s health, education, and future is not money or politics.

It’s water.

For more than 2 billion people, that is reality.


Clean water is the starting line.

With it, children can stay in school, families can build healthier futures, and communities can grow stronger and more resilient.

CAWST delivers the knowledge that makes it possible.


Scaling what works

CAWST focuses on building local capacity so solutions continue long after a single project ends.

Instead of delivering infrastructure alone, we help organizations and communities build the knowledge and skills to manage water safely themselves.

When one organization learns how to improve water, sanitation and hygiene, that knowledge spreads to thousands more.

This is the multiplier effect.

Since 2001, CAWST and its global network have helped more than 72 million people.

Our impact grows because knowledge spreads

5 million 2021 23 million 2024 47 million 2025

Our model is highly cost-effective

For less than $0.19, we can help improve a person’s water, sanitation, or hygiene, creating healthier families and stronger communities.

Because when knowledge is shared, it multiplies.

CAWST delivers the knowledge that makes it possible

From our headquarters in Calgary, we equip organizations and communities around the world with the training, tools and expertise to keep water safe for life.

As a licensed professional engineering firm and Canadian charity, we combine technical expertise with open-access knowledge to help communities solve water challenges themselves.

Learn more about CAWST’s story