A/HRC/36/45/Add.2 28. In May 2014, the Government approved an initiative to bring drinking water, via water fountains, to all public schools. While that is a very welcome development, progress in implementation has reportedly been slow and should be stepped up, particularly in states with the highest levels of poverty and marginalization. Challenges were identified, including the need to connect schools to municipal networks where possible or, for those schools in more remote locations or where no water system is available, to identify and establish alternative solutions, such as rainwater harvesting. The need to ensure technical maintenance at the local level was also identified as an ongoing challenge that would also benefit from the social participation of communities in monitoring the system and its operation. According to the Ministry of Public Education, the first phase of the project has been completed, with more than 6,000 water drinking systems installed out of a total target of 11,034 for 2016/17. B. Quality 29. The Ministry of Health has overall responsibility for surveillance of the quality of drinking water and is required to set standards for drinking water quality, to which providers should conform, while state law may contain further obligations and requirements. The Federal Commission for Protection Against Sanitation Risks is a regulatory body and a decentralized organ of the Ministry of Health responsible for regulating a variety of health-related areas, including drinking water quality. The National Water Commission also has a role in ensuring the quality of water resources under the National Water Law and provides funds to states and municipalities to improve the quality and availability of water supply. It also has a monitoring role in collaboration with other state and municipal authorities to ensure compliance with federal quality standards, but that role is more focused on the quality of water sources, and not on drinking water. 30. The current standard for drinking water quality in Mexico (NOM-127-SSA1-1994) is very outdated. A revision of that standard in 2000 did not introduce any substantial changes to it. In 2011, the World Health Organization published the fourth edition of its guidelines on drinking water quality and numerous addenda and recommendations for specific contaminants. Those updated scientific developments resulted in a number of new parameters and more stringent standards for water quality. Considering those developments and the complex situation in Mexico with regard to diverse environmental impacts on its water sources, mainly due to industrial effluents, agriculture, mining and hydrocarbon projects, the current norm must be urgently updated to provide more adequate and healthoriented surveillance and monitoring of drinking water quality. The Special Rapporteur learned that a commission was established for that purpose and urges the Government to speed up the process of updating the norm, in a rigorous, open and participatory way. 31. Numerous community representatives and non-governmental organizations raised concerns relating to the quality of water supplied, while officials admitted that water quality varies greatly and it is frequently not suitable for drinking. They reported frustration over insufficient responses from authorities when they raised concerns or sought testing of water samples and assurances over water quality. The Special Rapporteur was informed that there is no quality surveillance of informal water providers by the Ministry of Health, which is a cause for concern in view of the prevalence of such providers in Mexico to supplement insufficient public services. 32. In several communities that the Special Rapporteur visited, inhabitants noted their reliance on bottled water for drinking due to concerns about quality, which adds a considerable extra financial burden for those who are often living in the poorest areas and with the lowest incomes. The fact that Mexico has the highest per capita consumption of bottled water in the world (480 litres per year) is an indication of the distrust of the Mexican population in water utilities. Dependence on bottled water is definitely not a way to meet the country’s obligations relating to the right to water, as it undermines the necessary accessibility and affordability of water provision. Some concerns were also raised by community members regarding the quality of bottled water, with some calling for stricter regulation of the sector. 9