CAWST
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersCalgary, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
CAWST firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CAWST
- Legal name
- Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology
- Website
- https://cawst.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CAWST industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Training and Consulting
- NAICS
- Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water Safety Plans, Training & Documentation (Logbooks, SOPs) (BPABAJAL), Environmental Public Health (Food Safety, Water Quality, Sanitation) (BPAIAJAE), Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG)
Keywords
Where CAWST is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Calgary
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CAWST business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: CAWST operates as a Canadian registered charity (Charity No. 863 751 616 RR0001) and relies on donations from individuals, organizations, and government partners. They offer various donation options including one-time donations, monthly giving (Water Circle members), securities donations, planned giving, and legacy gifts.
- USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Grant: $1.2M USD grant from USAID BHA to support in-person, hybrid and online learning for local WASH practitioners around the world. Grant spans until August 2025.
- WASH Capacity Accelerator Commitment: $3M commitment over three years to launch the WASH Capacity Accelerator initiative, which increases availability of local expertise. CAWST is seeking investors to co-invest in this commitment.
- Merchandise Sales: Online store selling CAWST merchandise including books, resources, and promotional items. Proceeds support training and empower people around the world.
- Professional Consulting Services: As a licensed professional engineering firm (APEGA No. P-8757), CAWST provides consulting services to organizations implementing water, sanitation and hygiene solutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-Time Donation |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Donation (Water Circle) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Planned Giving / Legacy Gifts |
| Other | One time | Gift of Securities |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels9 records
CAWST product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CAWST delivers capacity-building services for the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector in low- and middle-income countries, including two-to-five-day training workshops on practical household water treatment and safe storage, technical consulting through APEGA-licensed engineers, and open-access multilingual educational resources. Core technology emphasis is on household-level solutions such as the biosand filter, ceramic pot filters, chlorination, and solar water treatment. Distribution is via a global Training Partners Network, an online training platform, and the HWTS Network knowledge base.
Product overview
CAWST (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology) is a Canadian charity and licensed professional engineering consultancy that does not sell a software product but rather delivers a service-based model comprising training workshops, consulting services, and open-access educational resources. The core offerings are: Training Workshops (delivered via caWst.training, 2–5 day practical WASH workshops), Consulting Services (technical advisory for organizations implementing water/sanitation solutions), and the WASH Resources Library (a free online repository of training materials, games, and guidance in multiple languages). Supporting offerings include the HWTS Knowledge Base (hwts.info, a database of household water treatment technologies and policies), the Water Circle monthly giving program, a merchandise store, and a Legacy Giving program. CAWST's model focuses on building the capacity of local training partners and organizations so they can independently deliver water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions within their own communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Training Workshops Two-to-five-day facilitated workshops on practical water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) solutions that participants can implement immediately, covering the full range of household water treatment, sanitation and hygiene topics for NGOs, community organizations, and WASH practitioners.
- Consulting Services Technical consulting delivered through CAWST's APEGA-licensed professional engineering firm (APEGA No. P-8757) to help organizations and communities design and implement WASH project solutions, delivered in-person, hybrid or online.
- WASH Resources Library An open-access online catalogue of practical WASH educational resources including training manuals, games and activities, implementation guides, presentation materials, and topic briefs in multiple languages, freely available to practitioners worldwide.
- HWTS Knowledge Base (hwts.info) An online knowledge base on Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) hosting product and technology information, implementation approaches, project updates, and country-specific water policies and regulations, serving a global community of practice.
- Water Circle Monthly Giving Program A monthly giving membership program through which donors commit recurring contributions to support CAWST's mission of helping people access safe water, sanitation and hygiene globally.
- CAWST Store (Merchandise) An online storefront selling CAWST-branded books, training resources, and promotional merchandise, with proceeds directed toward providing training and empowering communities to solve their water challenges.
- Legacy Giving Program Estate and planned giving program offering donors options to leave gifts of life insurance, RRSPs or RRIFs, publicly traded securities, charitable remainder trusts, or bequests to support CAWST's mission.
Quantifiable outcome
- 22 million people reached with better water, sanitation or hygiene in 2024
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use CAWST
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CAWST technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
CAWST partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, regional, academic, local, strategic and media.
- WASH SDO (WASH Skills Development Organization)coreCambodian local organization committed to enhancing water, sanitation, and hygiene practices. CAWST and WASH SDO provide HWTS training programs in communities in Thpong District, Cambodia, working toward universal clean water access by 2025.
- FUNDAINIL (Fundación de Atención Integral Juvenil)coreWomen-led non-profit in Venezuela with 36+ years in social development. CAWST provides HWTS training, technical guidance and resources; FUNDAINIL adapts knowledge to Venezuelan context and strengthens local delivery.
- Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church Humanitarian Aid Development Commission (EKHCDC)corePartners with CAWST to strengthen ability to deliver practical water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions in Ethiopian communities. Women-led WASH for Healthy Homes initiative trains women in soap production and hygiene promotion.
- Aqua Clara Kenya (ACK)coreCAWST training partner in Kenya. CEO John Nyagwencha is part of CAWST's global network. ACK implements water and sanitation solutions locally with CAWST support.
- Biosand Filter Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal (BiFEAN)coreNetwork of 42 entrepreneurs building businesses that manufacture, sell and service biosand filters across Nepal's Tarai region. CAWST provides training, technical expertise and practical tools supporting local market development.
- Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) NetworkcoreCAWST hosts this global network connecting hundreds of organizations worldwide including academic institutions, international development agencies, governments and grassroots organizations. Network has 1,400+ members from 70+ countries.
- World Health Organization (WHO)majorWHO is a member of the HWTS Network secretariat and administers an international scheme to evaluate HWTS products. CAWST collaborates with WHO on household water treatment guidance.
- UNICEFmajorUNICEF has a regional WASH and environment advisor as part of the HWTS Network. Emphasizes significance of HWTS in regions where self-supply is common.
- Ghana Standards AuthorityregionalGhana was one of the first countries to develop policies and protocols to certify HWTS products. CAWST connects this expertise through the HWTS Network.
- Tufts UniversityacademicProfessor Daniele Lantagne from Tufts University is a global HWTS expert in the network. Works in 40+ countries understanding local contexts for household water treatment.
- Africa Learning Exchange (Africa LEX)regionalRegional collaboration for learning exchanges in Africa, supporting shared learning and implementation of household water treatment and safe storage.
- Calgary Airport AuthoritylocalPartnership connecting water management expertise. YYC Calgary International Airport shares water stewardship practices and supports CAWST's mission.
- SanergystrategicCo-hosted a free five-part webinar series with CAWST and Pan-African Association of Sanitation Actors exploring how to work more effectively with manual pit toilet emptiers.
- Pan-African Association of Sanitation ActorsstrategicPartnered with CAWST and Sanergy to host webinar series on manual pit emptiers, providing a forum for marginalized workers to discuss their trade.
- RBC (Royal Bank of Canada)mediaRBC featured CAWST CEO Shauna Curry on their Discover & Learn Blog for International Women's Day celebrations, highlighting women leaders in WASH.
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CAWST competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WaterAid: Global non-profit focused on providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene in developing countries, with a strong emphasis on local capacity building, advocacy, and partnership with implementing organizations — directly comparable to CAWST's WASH training and consulting mandate across low- and middle-income countries.
- IRC (International Water and Sanitation Centre): Knowledge-focused WASH organization that builds capacity of local actors, governments and practitioners through research, learning resources, and training — closely aligned with CAWST's capacity-strengthening model and HWTS Network knowledge base.
- Water.org: Global non-profit co-founded by Gary White and Matt Damon that finances household water and sanitation access in developing countries via microfinance partnerships — overlapping with CAWST on household-level WASH solutions but using market-based rather than training-led distribution.
- charity: water: US-based non-profit funding clean water projects in developing countries, with strong brand recognition and donor mobilization capability — competes for the same donor pool as CAWST and shares its mission of household and community water access.
- iDE (International Development Enterprises): International development organization that uses market-based and entrepreneur-driven approaches to deliver WASH and agricultural products in developing countries — closely comparable to CAWST's BiFEAN biosand filter entrepreneur model in Nepal.
- Practical Action: International non-profit working on technology-based poverty reduction including water, sanitation and energy in developing countries — comparable to CAWST on its emphasis on practical, low-cost household technologies and partner capacity building.
- Tearfund: Christian international relief and development agency with substantial WASH programming in fragile contexts — overlaps with CAWST on community-level household water treatment and local partner capacity strengthening.
Regional players
- WaterCan/Eau Vive: Canadian WASH-focused non-profit working on safe water, sanitation and hygiene in developing countries, with similar donor base and policy engagement — a Canadian geographic peer to CAWST headquartered in Calgary.
Broad incumbents
- World Vision (WASH programs): Large international humanitarian organization running WASH programs as part of a broader portfolio of child welfare, health and emergency response work — significantly larger than CAWST but overlapping on WASH training and community implementation in developing countries.
- PATH (WASH programs): Global health non-profit whose work includes household water treatment and safe storage technologies — overlapping with CAWST's HWTS specialization but operating as a broader health-focused organization rather than a WASH-only specialist.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CAWST social profiles
Digital presenceCAWST financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CAWST leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
CAWST funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CAWST M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CAWST
What does CAWST do?
CAWST delivers capacity-building services for the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector in low- and middle-income countries, including two-to-five-day training workshops on practical household water treatment and safe storage, technical consulting through APEGA-licensed engineers, and open-access multilingual educational resources. Core technology emphasis is on household-level solutions such as the biosand filter, ceramic pot filters, chlorination, and solar water treatment. Distribution is via a global Training Partners Network, an online training platform, and the HWTS Network knowledge base.
Is CAWST a public or private company?
CAWST is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was CAWST founded?
CAWST was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CAWST based?
CAWST is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, in the North America region.
How does CAWST make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Grant, WASH Capacity Accelerator Commitment, merchandise Sales and professional Consulting Services.
Who are CAWST's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WaterAid, IRC (International Water and Sanitation Centre), Water.org, charity: water, iDE (International Development Enterprises), Practical Action and Tearfund. WaterCan/Eau Vive is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are World Vision (WASH programs) and PATH (WASH programs).
Does CAWST have an API?
No public API is recorded for CAWST.
What industry is CAWST in?
CAWST's product category is Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Training and Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAH, Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management, with a secondary code of BPABAJAL, Water Safety Plans, Training & Documentation (Logbooks, SOPs). Its NAICS code is 22131 and its SIC code is 4941.