A/HRC/42/47/Add.1 70. In urban areas, where the Special Rapporteur interacted with the technical staff of the Water and Sewerage Company, he realized that most water treatment plants in Lesotho were obsolete, having mostly been constructed in the 1980s. Both the plants and the treatment processes are ageing and were designed to treat a different type of water with low turbidity and not the water currently affected by environmental degradation and droughts. As this obsolescence can potentially impact drinking-water quality and, ultimately, the health of end users, the Special Rapporteur recommends that the Water and Sewerage Company establish plans to update the water treatment plants. He emphasizes that once water treatment services and facilities have been improved, those positive developments must be maintained and retrogression avoided. Services and systems must be appropriately financed for their full life cycle, including for operation, maintenance, repair and replacement. E. Impacts from mega-projects 71. Watersheds involved in the dams of the highlands water project correspond to over 40 per cent of the country’s total area. As part of phase I of the project, the Katse and Mohale Dams were finalized in 1997 and 2003 respectively. During phase I, there were long delays in implementing the rural sanitation and village water supply component for impacted and displaced communities. To date, there are conflicting figures about the status of water and sanitation in those villages in the area of influence of the dams, although there is a consensus that gaps persist. 72. It was explained to the Special Rapporteur that several villages surrounding the Katse Dam had lost their water supply in 1995 when their natural springs dried up as a result of seismic activity that occurred during the inundation of the dam, an impact likely attributable to this mega-project. As a consequence, villagers have to walk for more than two hours to gain access to water from other villages. Following complaints, the Mapeleng villagers and the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority reached an agreement. The Special Rapporteur was happy to hear that the case had been settled, with the provision of water to one of the affected villages. The Special Rapporteur wishes to emphasize that this should not be the end of the efforts by the Development Authority but a starting point. 73. The Special Rapporteur wishes to highlight a few elements of the agreement that serve as good practice, including implementation of the Mapeleng water supply project as compensation for the negative impact that the Katse Dam has had on the village. The project was initiated with public consultation with local entities and authorities and unskilled labour sourced from the Mapeleng community. In accordance with the agreement, the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority will implement a water system for the benefit of the Mapeleng community. The Department of Rural Water Supply will be in charge of the long-term maintenance and operation of the water supply system through two Mapeleng community members, who will be trained during the construction phase of the project. For the agreement to be a positive development, the Special Rapporteur emphasizes that all the elements need to be implemented. 74. What the Special Rapporteur found ironic and unjust is that several villages, including the one that he visited, did not have access to water, while the reservoir was clearly visible. One woman told the Special Rapporteur that: “it is painful to see water there [pointing at the reservoir] and not here [pointing at the village]”. The villagers saw water, untouchable by them, reserved for delivery to South Africa while they were going thirsty. Furthermore, Katse village has an abundant supply of potable running water in the high school, the health clinic and other public services, which are facilities implemented as part of the highlands water project. However, the neighbouring village within walking distance that the Special Rapporteur visited had precarious access to water and villagers were collecting water from unprotected sources. 75. With phase I of the highlands water project officially launched in March 2014, preparations for the construction of the Polihali Dam, as part of phase II, were in place at the time of the Special Rapporteur’s visit. Among the stated benefits that will flow from the project are the creation of employment opportunities, the establishment of health centres 15