By-laws made by the London County Council under the public health (london) ad, 1891.

BY-LAWS UNDER SECTION 39 (1).

With respect to Water-closets, Earth-closets, Privies, Ashpits, Cesspools, and Receptacles for Dung, and the proper Accessories thereof in connection with Buildings, whether constructed before or after the passing of this Act.

Water-closets and Earth-closets.

1. Every person who shall hereafter construct a water-closet or earth-closet in connection with a building, shall construct such water-closet or earth-closet in such a position that, in the case of a water-closet, one of its sides at the least shall be an external wall, and in the case of an earth-closet two of its sides at the least shall be external walls, which external wall or walls shall abut immediately upon the street, or upon a yard or garden or open space of not less than one hundred square feet of superficial area, measured horizontally at a point below the level of the floor of such closet. He shall not construct any such water-closet so that it is approached directly from any room used for the purpose of human habitation, or vised for the manufacture, preparation, or storage of food for man, or used as a factory, workshop, or workplace, nor shall he construct any earth-closet so that it can be entered otherwise than from the external air.

He shall construct such water-closet so that on any side on which it would abut on a room intended for human habitation, or used for the manufacture, preparation, or storage of food for man, or used as a factory, workshop, or workplace, it shall be enclosed by a solid wall or partition of brick or other materials, extending the entire height from the floor to the ceiling.

He shall provide any such water-closet that is approached from the external air with a floor of hard, smooth, impervious material, having a fall to the door of such water closet of half an inch to the foot.

He shall provide such water-closet with proper doors and fastenings.

Provided always that this by-law shall not apply to any water-closet constructed below the surface of the ground and approached directly from an area or other open space available for purposes of ventilation, measuring at least forty superficial feet in extent, and having a distance across of not less than five feet, and not covered in otherwise than by a grating or railing.

2. Every person who shall construct a water-closet in connection with a building, whether the situation of such water-closet be or be not within or partly within such building, and every person who shall construct an earth-closet in connection with a building, shall construct in one of the walls of such water-closet or earth-closet which shall abut upon the public way, yard, garden, or open space, as provided by the preceding by-law, a window of such dimensions that an area of not less than two square feet, which may be the whole or part of such window, shall open directly into the external air.

He shall, in addition to such window, cause such water-closet or earth-closet to be provided with adequate means of constant ventilation by at least one air-brick built in an external wall of such water-closet or earth-closet, or by an air-shaft, or by some other effectual method or appliance.

Water-Closets

3. Every person who shall construct a water-closet in connection with a building, shall furnish such water-closet with a cistern of adequate capacity for the purpose of flushing, which shall be separate and distinct from any cistern used for drinking purposes, and shall be so constructed, fitted, and placed as to admit of the supply of water for use in such water-closet so that there shall not be any direct connection between any service pipe upon the premises and any part of the apparatus of such water-closet other than such flushing cistern.

Provided always that the foregoing requirement shall be deemed to be complied with in any case where the apparatus of a water-closet is connected for the purpose of flushing with a cistern of adequate capacity, which is used solely for flushing water-closets or urinals.

He shall construct or fix the pipe and union connecting such flushing cistern with the pan, basin, or other receptacle with which such water-closet may be provided, so that such pipe and union shall not in any part have an internal diameter of less than one inch and a quarter.

He shall furnish such water-closet with a suitable apparatus for the effectual application of water to any pan, basin, or other receptacle with which such apparatus may be connected and used, and for the effectual flushing and cleansing of such pan, basin, or other receptacle, and for the prompt and effectual removal therefrom and from the trap connected therewith of any solid or liquid filth which may from time to time be deposited therein.

He shall furnish such water-closet with a pan, basin, or other suitable receptacle of non-absorbent material, and of such shape, of such capacity, and of such mode of construction as to receive and contain a sufficient quantity of water, and to allow all filth which may from time to time be deposited in such pan, basin, or receptacle, to fall free of the sides thereof and directly into the water received and contained in such pan, basin, or receptacle.

He shall not construct or fix under such pan, basin, or receptacle, any "container" or other similar fitting.

He shall construct or fix immediately beneath or in connection with such pan, basin, or other suitable receptacle, an efficient siphon trap, so constructed that it shall at all times maintain a sufficient water seal between such pan, basin, or other suitable receptacle and any drain or soil-pipe in connection therewith. He shall not construct or fix in or in connection with the water-closet apparatus any D trap or other similar trap.

Note

The last clause of this by-law deals with trap-ventilation, and is not inserted here as it has been repealed in favour of Bylaw 17 in the new "Drainage By-laws" (see pp. 265-6.)