A/70/203 1. Availability 15. Availability refers to the quantity of safe water available fo r domestic and personal use, and the necessary protection of water resources. There must be a sufficient quantity of water available to fulfil individuals’ and households’ requirements for drinking and personal hygiene, for personal and domestic uses, which includes cooking, preparation of food, laundry and cleaning (see E/C.12/2002/11, para. 12). As individual household needs vary depending on circumstance and context, including age, occupation, ill -health and climatic conditions, an exact quantity necessary to fulfil the above requirements cannot be given. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides broad guidance on the relevant amounts of water to promote good hygiene and protect public health, 1 but each State must assess the relevant amount for given circumstances. Beyond this, availability also relates to the necessary structures to ensure service provision. 2. Accessibility 16. Water must be accessible in the household or its immediate vicinity, as well as at other places where an individual spends significant amounts of time, including at the workplace, in schools, health centres and detention centres. To achieve an adequate standard of living, gain full health benefits and ensure that the time spe nt collecting water is minimal, everyone should have access to a tap in the home. In those cases where water is not accessible on the premises, the route to fetch water and the facility itself must be safe for all users, and the method of extracting water must be usable by all. Further, the supply must be reliable and continuous, so that individuals can collect water at the times that they require. 2 3. Quality 17. The water used by households and individuals for domestic and personal uses must be of sufficient quality to protect their health (see E/C.12/2002/11, para. 12). Pollution of water by any means, including by agriculture, industry and wastewater must therefore be prevented. WHO has published guid elines for drinking water quality, which define relevant limits for a wide range of potentially harmful substances to prevent “significant risk to health over a lifetime of consumption”. 3 4. Affordability 18. Water must be affordable to individuals for all personal and domestic uses (see A/HRC/30/39). In considering the affordability of water services, States must consider all aspects of access, including tariffs, connection charges, storage and household treatment of water, where necessary. The amount paid for water must not prevent people from accessing other essential goods and services that are guaranteed by other human rights, such as medicines, rent, other -related housing fees and education fees. Water does not have to be available for free other than in situations where people are not able to pay for the service themselves. __________________ 1 2 3 15-12500 See Guy Howard and Jamie Bartram, Domestic Water Quantity, Service, Level and Health, World Health Organization (2003). This issue also links to quality, as household water storage bears risks in terms of water quality and health. World Health Organization, Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, 4th ed. (Geneva, World Health Organization, 2011). 7/24