Special drainage, water supply, lighting and scavenging districts

Until the 19th century, land outwith the burghs generally had a small, dispersed population and did not have the challenges or expectations of burghs for drainage, water, lighting and scavenging.  However, in the 19th century, many towns and villages developed relatively rapidly but were not able to become police burghs and so could not operate their own services.  This problem was resolved by the development of special districts for specific purposes.

The Public Health (Scotland) Act 1867 provided that on a requisition from ten or more inhabitants of a local area, the local authority (burgh council or parochial board) should consider the formation of a special water supply district or special drainage district.[1]  These districts, normally small areas within a landward parish, often played an important part in bringing water supplies to rural areas and in the provision of sewerage and drainage.  After the formation of county councils and district committees in 1889, district committees could appoint a sub-committee for the management and maintenance of water supply works or drainage in a special district.  There was also provision for joint arrangements where the special district included both county and burgh areas.[2]

Special water supply districts and drainage districts survived successive reforms and were only finally abolished by, respectively, the Water (Scotland) Act 1949 and the Sewerage (Scotland) Act 1968.[3] By those dates, however, many of them had already been abolished or merged by the county councils.

The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 provided for the formation by county councils or district committees of special lighting districts and special scavenging districts.[4]  Once formed, these special districts were able to adopt the clauses for the provision of street lighting and the lighting of common stairs, passages and courts, contained in the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892.[5]

Surviving records of special districts can be found in local authority archives services. Records relating to their formation can be found in National Records of Scotland (reference code DD13).

Compilers: SCAN contributors (2000). Editor:  Elspeth Reid (2021)

References

[1] Public Health (Scotland) Act 1867 (30 & 31 Vict. c.101).

[2] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c.50) s.81.

[3] Water (Scotland) Act 1949 (12 & 13 Geo. VI c.31); Sewerage (Scotland) Act 1968 (c.47).

[4] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c.58) s.44.

[5] Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892 (55 & 56 Vict. c.55).