60 & 61 Vict., Cap. 44. Lands may be charged by owners for water supply. 27 & 28 Vict. C. 114. Charge to be in favour of district council. Time limit for charge. Sanctioning DISTRICT COUNCILS (WATER SUPPLY FACILITIES) ACT, 1897. 60 & 61 Vict., Cap. 44. An Act for giving Facilities for a Pure Water Supply in Rural Districts. (a) [6th August 1897.] [Introductory words.] 1. Where any person who is a landowner within the meaning of the Improvement of Land Act, 1864 (in this Act referred to as the principal Act), contributes any money towards the expenses incurred by a district council for the purpose of supplying water to any lands of such landowner, whether together with other lands or not, the amount so contributed may, with the sanction of the Board of Agriculture given under this Act, be charged on the land of the landowner so supplied with water in the same manner, as nearly as may be, and with the like effect as in the case of a charge under the principal Act. 2. Where the landowner and the district council agree that the contribution shall be payable by half-yearly instalments, the charge under this Act may be granted in favour of the district council, to secure the payment to them of such contribution, and the sums payable in respect of the charge shall be in addition to any sums which may be payable for the water supply by way of water rate or water rent. 3. A charge under this Act shall not be made for any term exceeding twenty-five years. 4. When the supply of water to the lands of the landowner will be beneficial to persons residing or engaged in labour on such lands, the Board may, if they think fit, sanction the charge, although it may not be shown that the supply of water will effect a direct yearly increase in the value of the lands or be productive of a yearly revenue to the owner of the lands exceeding the yearly amount proposed to be charged thereon. (a) Short Title, the District Councils (Water Supply Facilities) Act, 1897. See s. 7. 5. Where the annual sum to be made payable under a charge proposed to be granted by virtue of this Act in respect of the supply of water to any house or houses does not exceed the amount payable at the date of the charge for such water supply by way of water rate or water rent, the Board of Agriculture may execute the charge upon such information as they think fit to require, and in such case the requirements of the principal Act with respect to matters and proceedings previous to the execution of a charge shall not apply. 6. This Act shall not extend to Scotland or Ireland. 60 & 61 Vict., Cap. 44. Power of Board of to execute Extent of Act. 7. This Act may be cited as the District Councils Short title. (Water Supply Facilities) Act, 1897, and shall be read with the Improvement of Land Act, 1864. HH 60 & 61 Vict., Cap. 56. Complaint may be made to Railway and Canal Commission. 57 & 58 Vict. C. 54. Power of local authorities to aid water consumers. METROPOLIS WATER ACT, 1897. 60 & 61 Vict., Cap. 56. An Act to amend the Law respecting the Metropolitan Water Companies. (a) [6th August 1897.] [Introductory words.] 1.-1.) Any water consumer or any local authority may complain to the Railway and Canal Commission that any of the metropolitan water companies has failed to perform some statutory duty of the company, and the Commission may hear and determine that complaint, and if satisfied of such failure order the company within the time limited by the order to fulfil the duty, and may, if they think fit, by any such order, impose any penalty for such failure which can be imposed under any Act, and enforce any such order in like manner as any other order of the Commission. (2.) If at any time complaint as to the quantity or quality of the water supplied by any of the metropolitan water companies for domestic use is made to the Railway and Canal Commission, by any water consumer or local authority, the Commission may hear and determine such complaint, and if satisfied that the complaint is well founded, may order the company, within such reasonable time as is specified in the order, to remove the ground of such complaint, and may enforce such order in like manner as any other order of the Commission, and may award damages to the complainant. (3.) All enactments relating to the Railway and Canal Commission (except section two of the Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 1894, which restricts the power to award costs) shall, with the necessary modifications, apply to the Railway and Canal Commission for the purpose of their jurisdiction under this Act. (4.) This Act shall be in addition to and not in substitution for any existing proceedings or remedy. 2. A local authority may aid any water consumer in obtaining the determination of any question which appears to the local authority to be of interest to water consumers within the district of such local authority with respect to the rights, duties, and liabilities of any of the (a) Short title, the Metropolis Water Act, 1897. See s. 6. Cap. 56. metropolitan water companies in reference to the quantity 60 & 61 Vict., or quality of water supplied or the charges made by them. A local authority aiding any legal proceedings under this section may, if the court think fit, be made a party to the proceedings, and shall be liable for costs accordingly. whole water area, and adaptation of 3. The Metropolis Water Act, 1852, and the Metro- Extension to polis Water Act, 1871, shall, as respects the metropolitan water companies, extend to the whole of the area within which any of the companies is for the time being Metropolis authorised to supply water, and for the purpose of the said Water Acts. Acts as so extended reference to that area shall be substi- 15 & 16 Vict. tuted for references to "the metropolis" and "the limits C. 84. of this Act," and as respects any area outside the admini- 34 & 35 Vict. strative county of London a reference to the council of a county or county borough shall be substituted for a reference to the metropolitan authority, and so much of the said Acts or of any local Act as is inconsistent with such substitution shall be and is hereby repealed. C. 113. 4. The Railway Commissioners shall include in their Return of annual report a return of all proceedings taken before proceedings them under this Act. taken. 5. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, Definitions. The expression "metropolitan water companies" means the water companies specified in section three of the Metropolis Water Act, 1871, namely; 34 & 35 Vict. the New River Company, the East London Water- C. 113. works Company, the Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company, the Company of Proprietors of the West Middlesex Waterworks, the Company of Proprietors of Lambeth Waterworks, the Governor and Company of Chelsea Waterworks, the Grand Junction Waterworks Company, and the Company of Proprietors of the Kent Waterworks: The expression "water consumer" means any person who is supplied with water by any of the metropolitan water companies, or who pays or is liable to pay any money charged by any of those companies for or in respect of the supply of water, whether under the name of rent, rate, or otherwise, and includes any householder or owner or occupier of a house entitled to make a communication with the mains or pipes of any of those companies Provided that nothing in this Act shall affect the terms of any agreement existing at the time of the passing of this Act between a water company and a water consumer as to the supply of water: 60 & 61 Vict, Cap 56. Short title and commence ment The expression "local authority" means the council of any county, borough, or district, the mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the city of London, and any vestry, district board, or local board of health in the county of London. 6. (1.) This Act may be cited as the Metropolis Water Act, 1897. (2.) This Act shall come into operation on the first day of September next after the passing thereof. |