After identifying water as a priority, the assessment team used the environmental health systems method to create a water supply profile for each community. This method describes the water system from source to user and identifies needed improvements. More specifically, the process focuses on 5 attributes that are common to all water systems: quality, quantity, cost, coverage, and continuity. The water system assessments describe the condition of the water system, the factors that contribute to these conditions, and their possible antecedents. The findings of these assessments are summarized in the accompanying case studies, which describe the outcomes of the successful application of this process in these 2 diverse communities.