To halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to sanitation. To improve access to sanitation and decrease the incidence of water borne diseases.

Access to sanitation  1994–2009

Source: Census 1991, 1996, 2001; Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) internal processes; Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG) Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG)

The responsible and safe disposal of human waste helps to control the spread of disease.  Although there has been progress in the delivery of clean water, it is clear that there are lags in the delivery of sanitation facilities.  Many households have no access to adequate sanitation facilities.  There has been a small and variable increase in access to flush toilets, and an increase from 7.5 million to 9.2 million in the number of households with access to adequate sanitation.  The proportion of households without adequate sanitation has not changed significantly since 1993, however.  About one in every eight households did not have access to sanitation at the time of the 1996 Census.  By 2001, this ratio had improved to one in every seven households.  In line with policy, the proportion of households relying on bucket toilets was reduced from 5.3% in 1993 to 1.9% in 2003.