And with regard to existing premises:
“If a house within the district of a local authority appears to such authority by the report of their surveyor or inspector of nuisances to be without a sufficient watercloset, earthcloset, or privy . . . . the local authority shall by written notice require the owner or occupier of the house within a reasonable time therein specified, to provide a sufficient watercloset, earthcloset, or privy . . . . or either of them as the case may require. If such notice is not complied with the local authority may, at the expiration of the time specified in the notice, do the work, provided that where a watercloset, earthcloset, or privy has been and is used in common by the inmates of two or more houses, or if in the opinion of the local authority a watercloset, earthcloset, or privy may be so used, they need not require the same to be provided for each house” (38 & 39 Vic. c. 55, s. 36).
If the local authority approve, an earthcloset may be constructed instead of a watercloset, but in this case they should make arrangements for the supply of the dry earth and the removal of its contents.
The necessary form of notice to be served in connection with insufficient w.c. accommodation may be as follows:
To the owner of the house No. in the borough of .
Whereas the above-mentioned house is situate within the district of the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of , the urban sanitary authority for the borough of : And whereas it appears to the said urban sanitary authority that the said house is without a sufficient watercloset, earthcloset, or privy: Now the said urban sanitary authority do hereby require you, the said owner, within from the date of this notice to provide a sufficient watercloset for the use of the inhabitants of the said house. And take notice, that if you do not within the time above specified provide a sufficient watercloset, as aforesaid, to the satisfaction of the said urban sanitary authority, they will themselves, at the expiration of such time, do the necessary work to provide such closet accommodation as aforesaid, and proceed to recover the costs and expenses thereby incurred in manner provided by the Public Health Act 1875.
Dated this of , 188 .
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Surveyor to the said Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses.
And where the case demands, the following note may be added below the above notice:
“Note.—The urban sanitary authority may, if they so determine, require a separate watercloset to be provided for each house, or they may permit a watercloset to be used in common by the inmates of two or more houses,[205] but in either case the closet itself must be properly constructed and provided with due means of ventilation. The urban sanitary authority will approve of the existing closet accommodation if it is perfected by means of the following works being carried out. (Specification of work required to be done must here be inserted.) The whole of the work to be executed in a workmanlike manner and to my entire approval.