This series primarily contains records documenting the findings and results of the World Bank's (Bank) two-year research project in 1976 - 1978 on "Appropriate Technology for Water Supply and Waste Disposal in Developing Countries." This project guided the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Bank to address the importance of low-cost water and sanitation systems in achieving inclusive access to clean water and adequate sanitation for everyone, especially in developing economies. It includesa series of publications in various record types: manuals, guides, reports, working documents, technical papers, summaries, case studies, and questionnaires.

This research project stemmed from years of informal and formal arrangements in the 1960s and 1970s between the Bank and the international development community (e.g., World Health Organization-WHO) to address ongoing water and waste management issues, particularly in Bank member countries' rural and urban communities. During this time, the Bank was also expanding and redirecting its investments to urbanization projects, particularly in water supply and sewerage initiatives, as emphasized by President Robert McNamara in his address to the Board of Governors in October 1976.

The research project focused on obtaining the perspectives of community members with the following factors and/or activities in mind: evaluation of varying constraints (e.g., environmental, public health, demand, institutional, cultural, social, and financial); sanitation, reclamation, composting technologies; low-cost and/or alternative technological solutions for water and sanitation development; resource availability; and project beneficiaries. The geographical area of focus was concentrated in Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean.

The project resulted in a series of publications entitled "World Bank Studies in Water Supply and Sanitation" and related monographs, entitled "Appropriate Technology for Water Supply and Sanitation (ATWSS)," published between the early to mid-1980s. They aimed to guide and provide recommendations to project engineers, scientists, technicians, and field workers involved with water-related projects. Key authors include but are not limited to John M. Kalbermatten, David C. Jones, DeAnne S. Julius, Charles G. Gunnerson, and D. Duncan Mara.