ABSTRACT
The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a network of individuals and post-secondary institutions who believe that all peoples are entitled to the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to a more equitable world. Its mission is to foster human development and global understanding through education and training. The WUSC promotes gravity-fed water system technologies for rural projects, applying the most suitable technologies for local geographic conditions. These technologies require a minimum of operation and maintenance. Local materials are used wherever possible. The WUSC’s methodology for building community capacity in system operation and maintenance is centered around involving the community directly in the construction phase. Once the projects have been completed, WUSC assists communities in the formation and the training of local water system management committees. The foci of the management training are planning, administration, operation and maintenance themes.
