Editing Tuvalu (section)

===Water and sanitation===
[[Rainwater harvesting]] is the principal source of fresh water in Tuvalu. Nukufetau, Vaitupu and Nanumea are the only islands with sustainable groundwater supplies. The effectiveness of rainwater harvesting is diminished because of poor maintenance of roofs, gutters and pipes.<ref name="FTMN"/><ref>Kingston, P A (2004). [https://web.archive.org/web/20120111155715/http://www.wpro.who.int/NR/rdonlyres/C46440CE-2030-47F5-A1BC-14BFA54354FE/0/Tuvalu.pdf Surveillance of Drinking Water Quality in the Pacific Islands: Situation Analysis and Needs Assessment, Country Reports]. WHO. Retrieved 25 March 2010</ref> Aid programmes of Australia and the European Union have been directed to improving the storage capacity on Funafuti and in the outer islands.<ref name=10EDF>{{cite web |url=http://www.delfji.ec.europa.eu/en/achievements/tuvalu.htm |title=Tuvalu – 10th European Development Fund |work=Delegation of the European Union |access-date=24 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008065407/http://www.delfji.ec.europa.eu/en/achievements/tuvalu.htm |archive-date=8 October 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Reverse osmosis (R/O) desalination units supplement rainwater harvesting on Funafuti. The 65 m<sup>3</sup> desalination plant operates at a real production level of around 40 m<sup>3</sup> per day. R/O water is only intended to be produced when storage falls below 30%; however, demand to replenish household storage supplies with tanker-delivered water means that the R/O desalination units are continually operating. Water is delivered at a cost of A$3.50 per m<sup>3</sup>. Cost of production and delivery has been estimated at A$6 per m<sup>3</sup>, with the difference subsidised by the government.<ref name="FTMN"/>

In July 2012, a United Nations Special Rapporteur called on the Tuvalu Government to develop a national water strategy to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2012/07/un-human-right-to-safe-drinking-water-mission-to-tuvalu/ |title=Mission to Tuvalu – Press Statement United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation |date=19 July 2012 |publisher=Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque, United Nations Special Rapporteur |access-date=15 August 2012 |archive-date=23 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023005338/http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2012/07/un-human-right-to-safe-drinking-water-mission-to-tuvalu/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-20/an-tuvalu-water-and-sanitation/4143036 |title=Tuvalu urged to develop national water strategy |date=19 July 2012 |publisher=Australian Network News |access-date=15 August 2012 |archive-date=22 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722171644/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-20/an-tuvalu-water-and-sanitation/4143036 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2012, Tuvalu developed a National Water Resources Policy under the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) Project and the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) Project, which are sponsored by the Global Environment Fund/SOPAC. Government water planning has established a target of between 50 and 100L of water per person per day accounting for drinking water, cleaning, community and cultural activities.<ref name="FTMN" />

Tuvalu is working with the [[South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission]] (SOPAC) to implement composting toilets and to improve the treatment of sewage sludge from septic tanks on [[Fongafale]], for septic tanks are leaking into the [[Lens (hydrology)|freshwater lens]] in the sub-surface of the atoll as well as the ocean and lagoon. Composting toilets reduce water use by up to 30%.<ref name="FTMN"/>