Water Safety and Quality
‘Water’ is looked upon as a social and environmental resource. The term ‘right to water’ does not only refer to the rights of people but also to the needs of the environment. As a minimum, the quantity should be sufficient to meet ‘basic human needs’ in terms of drinking, bathing, cleaning, cooking and sanitation. Groundwater is relatively inexpensive, but it is limited in volume and irreplaceable if depleted. Maintaining a safe water supply means that river basins and groundwater are managed in their entirety.