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23
(f) THE METROPOLIS WATER ACT, 1897.
On the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee, the Vestry on the 2nd
November, 1897, instructed me to prepare and issue a short resume of the circular
setting forth the provisions of the above Act published by the Local Government
Board, by means of a perforated slip attached to the demand note, and this was done
in the quarter ending Lady-Day, 1898, in the following form:—
The Metropolis Water Act, 1897.
SYNOPSIS OF PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO SHOREDITCH.
Complaints to Railway and Canal Commission.
Jurisdiction is conferred by the Act upon the Railway and Canal Commission to
hoar and determine complaints which may be made by water consumers or by the Shoreditch
Vestry with respect to defaults of the water companies in Shoreditch, viz.:—the New River
Co. and the East London Waterworks Co. The Act is in addition to and not in substitution
for any proceedings or remedy existing at the passing of the Act. [Section 1.]
The term "water consumer" means any person supplied with water by any company,
or who pays or is liable to pay any money charged in respect of the supply of water,
whether as 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.
Nothing in the Act, however, is to affect the terms of any agreement existing at the time of
the passing of the Act between a water company and a water consumer as to the supply of
water. [Section 5.]
The Act provides that any water consumer or the Shoreditch Vestry may complain
to the Railway and Canal Commission that any of the water companies has failed to perform
some statutory duty of the company, and the Commission may hear and determine the
complaint. If they are satisfied of the failure of duty, they may order the Company within
the time limited by the order to fulfil the duty, and they may impose any penalty for the failure
which can be imposed under any Act. [Section 1 (1)].
If at any time complaint as to the quality or quantity of the water supplied by any
of the water companies for domestic use is made to the Commission by any water consumer
or local authority, the Commission may hear and determine the complaint. If they are
satisfied that the complaint is well founded, they may order the Company, within a reasonable
specified time, to remove the ground of complaint, and they may award damages to the complainant.
[Section 1 (2)]. Provisions for enforcing orders of the Commission are made by
the Act. The Commission have full jurisdiction to hear and determine all matters, whether of
law or of fact, and they may order two or more companies to carry into effect an order of the
Commission, and to make mutual arrangements for that purpose. The costs of proceedings
before the Commission are in the discretion of the Commission. [S. 19.]
Power of Local Authorities to Aid Water Consumers.
Section 2 of the new Act enables the Shoreditch Vestry to aid any water consumer
in obtaining the determination of any question which appears to them to be of interest to
water consumers in Shoreditch, with respect to the rights, duties, and liabilities of any of the
water companies, in reference to the quantity or quality of water supplied, or the charges made
by them. The Vestry may, if the Court think fit, be made a party to the proceedings, and
they will be liable for costs accordingly.
Printed by Order op the Shoreditch Vestry,
Clerk's Department, H. MANSFIELD ROBINSON,
Shoreditch Town Hall, Solicitor and Clerk.
Old Street, London, E.C.
3rd January, 1898.