CAWST’s Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) Knowledge Base is an interactive, user-friendly, web-based resource centre and mobile app that provides access to open content, downloadable HWTS education, and training resources. Most resources are available in English, Spanish, and French, adapted for multiple world regions and contexts. HWTS Knowledge Base makes technical HWTS expertise available to water, sanitation, and hygiene practitioners in low- and middle-income countries around the world, at no cost to users. To optimize the availability of this vital information, the HWTS Knowledge Base is available both online and offline.

Users can obtain practical information on context-appropriate, point-of-use water treatment technologies, approaches and modes of implementation, and share their experiences. The platform strengthens the capacity of practitioners and organizations to promote correct, consistent, and sustained use of HWTS technologies in households and communities to improve health outcomes.

Country Focus pages provide information on the enabling environment for HWTS in specific countries. The platform has a global reach with over 29,000 unique users from 200 countries and territories. The platform is accessed by over 4,000 users monthly and has garnered recognition from leading advisors in the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector.

https://www.hwts.info

• International

• Youth
• Women
• The poor
• Remote and rural communities
• Individual and groups from civil society organisations, government agencies, researchers, practitioners, and micro entrepreneurs who serve vulnerable populations

The Knowledge Base concept is something that CAWST replicated in building other platforms. For example, CAWST built the Biosand Filter Knowledge Base (https://www.biosandfilters.info/), which is designed on the foundation of the HWTS Knowledge Base. With similar features to the HWTS Knowledge Base, the Biosand Filter Knowledge Base collates and shares the latest evidence on the biosand filter technology.

In 2020, CAWST partnered with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to develop the COVID-19 Hygiene Hub. Leveraging similar design principles and features as the HWTS Knowledge Base, the COVID-19 Hygiene Hub is an online platform that provides technical advice, evidence-based resources, and opportunities for practitioner connection and sharing for practitioners responding to COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries.

Additionally, the HWTS Knowledge Base continues to expand to cover more topics, serve new audiences, and share new features. In 2020, CAWST launched the HWTS Learn Space on the platform - an e-learning tool that provides users with introductory, micro-learning modules on household water treatment and safe storage. It was designed for busy people, who can access learning on-the-go and offline.

The utility of this kind of platform as a technical resource is not limited to the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector; it could be adapted to other sector-specific themes in humanitarian and development work.

The sustainability of the HWTS Knowledge Base is related to both the content of the site and its format. Household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) as a sustainable solution: In many settings, household water treatment and safe storage can provide a more immediate solution than piped options, while significantly improving water quality, thereby reducing disease. Selecting an appropriate technology, or several technologies, for water source quality and cultural context is key. By sharing knowledge on HWTS widely and freely, CAWST contributes to sustainability.

Secondly, sharing the HWTS Knowledge Base as an open content resource is a key part of its sustainability. As the Knowledge Base becomes populated with more content, and is shared amongst water, sanitation, and hygiene practitioners, it will fill the information gap in point-of-use HWTS implementation in different contexts. Its availability as an offline-first mobile application allows access without internet connection enhances its utility and convenience to a broader audience.

CAWST is committed to updating and moderating the content over the long term so that it remains relevant and up-to-date. CAWST has an in-house team of web and app developers, and the funding to allow them to develop solutions rapidly, and keep adapting it to evolving sector needs.
Additionally, practitioners can submit their projects to the HWTS Knowledge Base, contributing their experience and learning to the global community. Implementers can share their experiences and ask questions about specific HWTS products, and submit projects they have implemented. This also creates opportunities for improved local capacity, through context-adapted solutions and knowledge, as is available through the country pages. Furthermore, product manufacturers can submit information on their products, enabling implementers to see the most up-to-date specifications and availability of products. Researchers also share their most recent publications on HWTS technologies and products.

The HWTS Knowledge Base promotes sustainable development by promoting inclusion and equity in access to information and knowledge. For example, practitioners who lack formal education are capable of taking action on water, sanitation, and hygiene needs - this tool makes technical and scientific information freely accessible in all countries on an equitable basis. In turn, practitioners are able to select technologies that are appropriate for their context, implement solutions, and troubleshoot and sustain those solutions in the long term. Utilizing connectivity and digital technological advances, the HWTS Knowledge Base mitigates social, economic, geographic, and gender-based barriers that prevent the flow of information and sharing of technical expertise that is crucial to community empowerment and development. The HWTS Knowledge Base reduces gender inequity by giving women water, sanitation and hygiene practitioners equal access to technical expertise. This grows their capacity, increases their participation, and empowers them to add value and contribute meaningfully to decision-making in HWTS projects. The HWTS Knowledge Base provides free access to users and those who are unable to afford other resources can access the technical expertise needed to do their work effectively. It also provides a platform for practitioners to share their learning widely, which amplifies the value of the voice, knowledge, and insight of implementers and beneficiaries. This bridges research and practice and advances equality. The remote nature of the platform reduces inherent bias enabling equality and inclusion among water, sanitation and hygiene practitioners. Knowledge transferred to water, sanitation and hygiene practitioners through this platform will ultimately have a positive impact on marginalized communities. CAWST provides remote online support to help practitioners make use of the information on the Knowledge Base.