A/70/203 or areas without access to a piped supply may use a borehole or well that is available for their own use or for the use of the broader community, particularly where such a settlement does not have another reliable source of water. 67. Whether or not this type of service meets human rights criteria standards depends on multiple factors. Particular issues to consider are water quality, price, distance from the home, waiting times (where there are a number of households using the same source) and the appropriate transport to and storage within the home. Depending on the position of the facility relative to the home, households may not be able to collect the optimum amount of water to ensure good heal th. Even where water is safe at source, the transport of water to the home, and storage within the home may not be safe, and the necessary water treatment can be prohibitively expensive for households living in poverty. Further, there is seldom any assista nce for using household water treatment methods to ensure that they are reliable, safe and sustainable. Similarly, they often do not have regular access to the necessary materials (for example, chlorine). Prices for water supplies may rise and fall according to water availability, putting the price of water out of reach for households on low-incomes in times of water scarcity. 68. Thus, while these informal shared or communal services may be providing service to millions of households, these services should be seen merely as interim solutions. States must adopt measures to either appropriately regulate them or replace them with systems that can be regulated and that meet the human rights standards. Where a State takes steps to provide formal service to area s formerly serviced only by informal providers, it is important that it ensures the affordability of formal services for the users in question. 3. Individual on-site solutions 69. Households may also have their own water supply from a private well or borehole. Private wells may not provide a regular or year -round supply of water, with seasonal dry periods being problematic in some regions. To ensure water quality, wells must be protected from animals and other sources of contamination. Wells in high-density urban areas are often at great risk of contamination. In some instances, a household will sell water to neighbours. Although this may be safe in some rural areas, there is seldom any regulation of water quality or affordability, or of construction and maintenance. 70. Rainwater harvesting is also a common household (or shared) solution. Again there can be issues with household water treatment and storage, and continuity of supply in areas with variable rain. Rainwater harvesting can be particularly useful as an additional source of water to complement other forms of supply. Other types of self-supply, such as the collection of surface water, seldom meet the standards and principles of the human rights to water and sanitation. 71. The category of individual on-site solutions also includes the provision of a household-level service by a well or borehole provided by a small-scale provider. Particular issues to consider include monitoring the proper construction, operation and maintenance of the borehole or well, in order to ensure that it is sustainable in terms of both technology and management. 15-12500 17/24