REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA COMBINED SECOND PERIODIC REPORT UNDER THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLE`S RIGHTS and INITIAL REPORT UNDER THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA 300. More households, particularly the previously disadvantaged, are receiving basic services from the municipalities in which they reside. Environmental hygiene plays an essential role in the prevention of many diseases. It also impacts on the natural environment and the preservation of important natural assets, such as water resources. Proper sanitation is one of the key elements in improving environmental sanitation. 301. Table 9 below identifies the percentage of households per province that had access to RDP standard toilet facilities, i.e. flush toilets connected to a public sewerage system or a septic tank, and a pit toilet with a ventilation pipe. Nationally, the percentage of households with access to RDP-standard sanitation increased from 62,3% in 2002 to 77,9% in 2013. 87