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                  River Purification

                  The Rivers Pollution Prevention Act 1876 created sanitary authorities and identified these in Scotland as parish councils and town councils or burgh police commissioners (which were the local authorities under the Public Health (Scotland) Act 1867).[1] With changes in local government, county councils were given powers to enforce this act.[2] This was aimed at preventing factories and mines from disposing of waste directly into rivers and streams and gave local authorities powers to prosecute offences and an obligation to provide appropriate sewage facilities. Subsequent legislation enabled the county councils on either side of the border between England and Scotland to work together.[3]

                  Following a report by the Scottish Water Advisory Committee on river pollution, new legislation was passed in 1951.[4] This gave county councils and town councils of large burghs a duty to promote cleanliness and conserve water resources.[5] However, this act also established river purification boards with specific responsibilities to prevent pollution and manage the rivers. These regional boards were composed of representatives of counties and large burghs along with appointees of the Secretary of State for Scotland. They were replaced by new river purification boards and by the three islands councils under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.[6] The boards included representatives from the relevant regional and district Councils. The Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 altered the membership of these boards to remove representatives of the old councils and replace them with representatives from the new unitary councils.[7] The river purification boards were abolished in 1995 and their functions transferred to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).[8]

                  National Records of Scotland holds records of the River Purification Boards (reference codes DD40 and SOE26) and river purification policy and administration (DD13, AF44).  Relevant material may be found in the minutes of county councils and large burghs, which are held in local authority archives services.

                  Compiler: Elspeth Reid (2021)

                  Bibliography

                  Ferguson, Keith, An introduction to local government in Scotland (The Planning Exchange, 1984)

                  Hubbard, Fred H., ‘Scottish River Purification Boards’ Natural Resources Journal 9.4 (1969) pp. 489-517

                   

                  References

                  [1] Rivers Pollution Prevention Act 1876 (39 & 40 Vict. c.75); Public Health (Scotland) Act 1867.

                  [2] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c.50) s.55.

                  [3] Rivers Pollution Prevention (Border Councils) Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c.34).

                  [4] Department of Health for Scotland, Prevention of Pollution of Rivers and other Waters, Report of the River Pollution Prevention Sub-Committee of the Scottish Water Advisory Committee, Cmd. No. 8111 (Edinburgh: HMSO 1950).

                  [5] Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) (Scotland) Act 1951 (14 & 15 Geo. VI c.66).

                  [6] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c.65) s.135.

                  [7] Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 (c.39) s.37.

                  [8] Environment Act 1995 (c.25) ss.21-22.