Sewers Background

Public Health (Ireland) Act 1878

16. Power to purchase sewers

Any sanitary authority may purchase or otherwise acquire from any person any sewer, or any right of making or of user or other right in or respecting a sewer (with or without any buildings works materials or things belonging thereto), within their district, and any person may sell or grant to such authority any such sewer right or property belonging to him; and any purchase money paid by such authority in pursuance of this section shall be subject to the same trusts (if any) as the sewer right or property sold was subject to.
But any person who, previously to the purchase of a sewer by such authority, has acquired a right to use such sewer shall be entitled to use the same, or any sewer substituted in lieu thereof, to the same extent as he would or might have done if the purchase had not been made.

18. Powers for making sewers

Any sanitary authority may carry any sewer through, across, or under any road, or any street or place laid out as or intended for a street, or under any cellar or vault which may be under the pavement or carriageway of any street, and, after giving reasonable notice in writing to the owner or occupier into, through, or under any lands whatsoever within their district.
They may also (subject to the provisions of this Act relating to sewage works without the district of the sanitary authority) exercise all or any of the powers given by this section without their district for the purpose of outfall or distribution of sewage.

22. Map of system of sewerage

Every urban sanitary authority shall, and any rural sanitary authority may, if they think fit, provide a map exhibiting the system of sewerage, if any, in their district; and such map shall be kept at their office, and shall be revised from time to time, and shall at all reasonable times be open to the inspection of the ratepayers of their district.

29. Penalty on unauthorised building over sewers and under streets in urban district

Any person who in any urban district, without the written consent of the urban authority,—
(1) Causes any building to be newly erected over any sewer of the urban authority; or

(2) Causes any vault, arch, or cellar to be newly built or constructed under the carriageway of any street,

shall forfeit to the urban authority the sum of €6.35 [five pounds] and a further sum of €2.53 [forty shillings] for every day during which the offence is continued after a written notice in this behalf from the urban authority; and the urban authority may cause any building, vault, arch, or cellar, erected or constructed in contravention of this section to be altered, pulled down, or otherwise dealt with as they may think fit, and may recover in a summary manner any expenses incurred by them in so doing from the offender.

33. Contribution to works under agreement for supply or distribution of sewage

Where any sanitary authority agree with any person as to the supply of sewage and as to works to be made for the purpose of such. supply, they may contribute to the expense of carrying into execution by such person all or any of the purposes of such agreement, and may become shareholders in any company with which any agreement in relation to the matters aforesaid has been or may hereafter be entered into by such sanitary authority, or to or in which the benefits and obligations of such agreement may have been or may be transferred or vested.