A/HRC/33/49/Add.3 households, water and sanitation charges may not be affordable. In fact, the Special Rapporteur heard complaints about water disconnections owing to non-payment of water bills. It is contrary to human rights principles to disconnect water when people do not have the means to pay their bills. There should be a safeguard system for persons living in poverty and persons with special needs, including health conditions. 38. In rural areas, 47 per cent of households still rely on unimproved water sources, including public water standpipes. Public water standpipes had been free of charge for over 40 years, but the Water Utilities Corporation is introducing prepaid metres for the public water standpipes. This new charge is likely to affect people living in rural areas, whose income levels are often lower than those living in urban areas. While the human right to water does not require the provision of water for free and it is understandable that some charges will encourage people to save water at the water points, the Special Rapporteur is concerned about the general application of the new charge. He is also concerned that there is no clear safety net for those who cannot afford the new charge. 39. The Special Rapporteur was concerned about a similar situation regarding sanitation. District authorities used to provide sludge collection services, but this responsibility was handed over to the Water Utilities Corporation at the district level and at a much higher rate following the sector reform. District authorities used to charge 30 to 100 pula per operation, but the Corporation charges 600 pula ($53). The Special Rapporteur was informed that many people could not afford this charge and that many pit latrines were overflowing. In contrast, wastewater tariffs are extremely low, which means that those who are connected to the central system and who tend to be better off economically, are benefiting from a lower tariff for sanitation. 40. In principle, the increasing block tariff encourages water savings and affordability for low-income households. However, such a tariff system carries challenges: the poor are often charged a higher tariff because they have large families and water meters are shared. Compared to other countries, it is also a unique tariff scheme as it sets the same price for domestic, commercial and industrial users. 41. From a human rights perspective, these tariff schemes for water and sanitation services raise a few concerns. Firstly, enterprises who can afford to pay a higher tariff are undercharged by these relatively low tariffs. This means that individual households who are connected to the central system may in fact be subsidizing enterprises, contrary to the trend in most other countries, where industrial and commercial tariffs are higher and subsidize domestic use. In addition, individual households that are not connected to the system, and which are usually worse off, not only lack assistance from the Government to realize their human rights to water and sanitation, but may also be indirectly subsidizing enterprises and better-off households through taxes. Secondly, this situation raises concern that the utilities do not collect enough revenue to invest in operation and maintenance or to extend the connection networks to those who are not served. According to UN-Water, in order to maintain the existing systems, 75 per cent of the water and sanitation budgets worldwide should be devoted to operation and maintenance. 13 42. The Special Rapporteur urges the Government to revisit the tariff schemes and the new charges on public water points in order to put in place clear mechanisms to ensure affordable water and sanitation for all, including those who cannot pay their bills for reasons beyond their control, such as unemployment. At the same time, the tariff schemes should be set so as to balance the sustainability and the affordability of water and sanitation services. Similar affordability standards for sanitation must be established. In setting such 13 12 WHO, “UN-Water global analysis and assessment of sanitation and drinking water (GLAAS) 2012 report: the challenge of extending and sustaining services” (Geneva, 2012), p. 29. GE.16-12031