Despite the prevalence of theories focused on the human right to water, very little research has been conducted about the implication of personal duties for using the water in informal settlements. Based on the UNESCO water principles the paper aims to evaluate both the rights and personal duties as well as the role that human dignity plays in the provision of better water services. Structural model equation SEM-PLS was implemented on the data provided by 483 informal dwellers at Doornkop (Soweto) in 2019. The model revealed high statistical significance and strong predictive power, which can lead decision-makers to improve the access to water and sanitation in informal settlements. The results indicate that personal duties drawn from the use of water such as participation, report leakages, polluters-pay and users-pay etc., need to be implemented to provide better access to water and sanitation for vulnerable dwellers. Furthermore, the presented results reflect the effect of human dignity on water governance and general principles of water. Conclusions highlight new theoretical and empirical approaches to the spectrum of water management.
