A/68/264 water of lower quality. This allows for a phased approach to wastewater management, as even preliminary or primary treatment can bring significant benefits. The PRODES programme in Brazil provides an interesting example in this context. It starts by stipulating a minimum requirement for primary treatment and continues with increasing standards, determined according to the specific context (see www.ana.gov.br/prodes/). 62. Rather than replicate the sewer plus sewage treatment plant model under all circumstances, the use of low-cost, flexible technologies should be considered where appropriate. Too often sewer lines are laid without the appropriate end-ofpipe treatment facility. Equally, sewage treatment plants are built without sufficient planning for the sewage to reach them. Decentralized sanitation options might show benefits from the perspective of human rights in terms of increased options to participate in decision-making and lower costs, thereby enhancing opportunities to extend services to all. 63. Many options exist to improve on-site sanitation and recycle human waste, especially in rural areas. However, it is crucial to also find solutions for densely populated informal settlements in urban areas. Not only do pits and septic tanks need to be emptied, but also their contents must be properly disposed of or reused. Many traditional wastewater treatment plants cannot deal with sludge, so other solutions, for instance reuse for energy production or fertilizer, can be promoted. Alternatively, processes for treating sludge can be made available at existing or new treatment plants. In South Africa, eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality turned its attention to the challenge of full and overflowing latrines and put into place a programme to empty latrines every five years at no cost to the household (see www.durban.gov.za/City_Services/water_sanitation/Policies_Plans_Guidelines/Pages/ Water_Services_Development_Plan.aspx). In Japan, the johkasou system, which combines a septic tank with the on-site treatment of septage has been developed (see A/HRC/18/33/Add.3, para. 15). 64. It is important that measures be taken not only to build new facilities, but also to meet the challenges of coping with dysfunctional infrastructure. It is crucial that measures are taken to ensure operation and maintenance. C. Financing and pricing in line with human rights 65. Investing in wastewater management is closely tied to technological choices, although financing needs are not limited to infrastructure, but encompass management, monitoring, policy development, capacity-building, awareness-raising and enforcement, among others. Different estimates exist as to the sums required to retrofit the world’s population with modern infrastructure and take care of decaying infrastructure in industrialized countries. Figures range from $75 billion to $904 billion per year over the next 25 to 42 years, but the reliability of those numbers is questionable. 42 In any case, the sums needed are astronomical. 66. While there is scope for increasing wastewater charges in many areas, removing subsidies for industries and agriculture and introducing the “polluter pays” principle more stringently, it is unlikely that the necessary sums can be fully recovered from users. In many countries, wastewater management is still financed __________________ 42 13-41825 Ibid., p. 10. 17/23