water and sanitation providers to ensure that they do not violate the right to access to water and sanitation. k. Ensure that procedures for the disconnection of water and sanitation services are reasonable and only occur after timely and full disclosure of information and include legal recourse and remedies as well as legal assistance. Ensure that procedures take into account the individual’s ability to pay and therefore disconnections for non-payment should not result in a person being denied access to a minimum amount of safe drinking water where that person proves that he or she is unable to pay for these basic services. The quantity of safe drinking water a person can access may be reduced, but full disconnection may only be permissible if there is access to an alternative source. l. Ensure that the export of water resources does not limit the full enjoyment of the right to water within the country; m. Take steps on a non-discriminatory basis to prevent threats to health from unsafe and toxic water conditions. n. Ensure that natural water resources are protected from contamination by harmful substances and pathogenic microbes. This includes strict controls of the use and pollution of water resources for industrial purposes, and especially of extractive industries in rural areas. o. Monitor and combat situations where aquatic eco-systems serve as a habitat for vectors of diseases wherever they pose a risk to human living environments. Vulnerable Groups, Equality and Non Discrimination 53 p. Ensure that all water and sanitation facilities and services are of sufficient quality, affordable, culturally appropriate and meet the needs of members of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. To this end relatively low-cost targeted water programmes to protect these groups should be adopted. q. Ensure appropriate water and sanitation pricing policies, including through flexible payment schemes and cross-subsidies from high-income users to low-income users. Subsidize water and sanitation services for low-income households and poor areas that lack the means to secure access to such services. Subsidies should normally be used for connection to distribution networks or for the construction and maintenance of small-scale water supply and sanitation facilities, such as wells, boreholes and latrines. r. No one should be denied access to water and sanitation because of their housing or land status. Informal human settlements should be upgraded through the provision of water and sanitation services and through assistance with the construction of their own water and sanitation facilities. s. Progressively extend safe sanitation services, particularly to rural and deprived urban areas, taking into account the needs of women and children.