The Afghan Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation (SWSS) Project increased access to potable water supply and sanitation services, decreased the prevalence of water-related diseases through household hygiene interventions, and improved the sustainable management of potable water services in Afghan villages. The Project began on October 1 2009, and was completed on December 30, 2012. The United States Agency of International Development (USAID) provided $43,314,113 to fund the Project. The 100+ member Project team installed and expanded water supply and sanitation infrastructure primarily based on a 'flexible approach' that was responsive to Project Nomination Forms (PNFs) provided by USAID's Provincial Reconstruction Team/Field Program Officers (PRT/FPOs) within the Regional Command structure of the U.S. Department of Defense. Such flexibility was necessitated by the highly dynamic conditions in which all U.S. Government (USG) activities were carried out in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. While this was not an optimal arrangement to support long-term community-based development, as it limited opportunities for stakeholder engagement, it was the most effective approach to align with USG priorities in Afghanistan. Fortunately, the Project team was also able to follow a more conventional and participatory 'Provincial Approach' in areas where security allowed more intensive collaboration with local residents and leaders consistent with best practices in USAID's water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs. The Project's social development activities and water infrastructure subprojects were the foundations for involving communities in managing and controlling their own potable water and sanitation services. The Project team worked with beneficiaries, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA), and the Afghan private sector toward improving sustainable use of safe water, clean sanitation, and hygiene practices. The basis for the Project's collaboration with local stakeholders was defined by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by USAID with the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) of the GIRoA outlining cooperation on Project activities.