Public Health Act 1848

The Public Health Act 1848 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was the first time the government had tried to improve the health of the people. Edwin Chadwick had pushed for it after his reports on the condition of the working classes. It did not cover the City of London and some other parts of London.

It put the supply of water; sewerage; drainage; cleansing; paving, and environmental health regulation in England and Wales under a single local body. The General Board of Health was in charge, and local boards of health could be set up, either by local people or by the General Board. The General Board did not have money. The local boards could get money from rates. Sunderland was one of the first places to set up a local board.

Powers of the local boards

• Employees: A local board of health could employ people, including a surveyor, a clerk, a treasurer, and an officer of health (who had to be a qualified doctor). They had to appoint an inspector of nuisances (sanitary inspector) to investigate complaints and take action against 'nuisances' (nuisances meant all sorts of environmental public health problems: such as unsanitary dwellings, accumulations of refuse and sewage, smoke dust and smells and industrial emissions, polluted water, noise, adulterated food, slaughterhouse issues etc.).
• Sewers: The local board took over ownership of all public sewers in its district. Where private sewers operated for profit, the local board could buy them.
• Street cleansing: The local board was required to clean the streets in its district, removing dust, ashes, rubbish, filth, dung and soil.
• Public lavatories: The local board could provide "public necessities" (as the act called them).
• Slaughterhouses: The local board was to regulate slaughterhouses, and was allowed to provide such facilities itself.
• Street paving: The local board took over the public streets in the district, and could also require that private streets be paved.
• Pleasure grounds: The local boards were allowed to provide and lay out pleasure grounds.
• Water supply: The local board was allowed to supply water, but only if a private company could not provide the service.
• Burials: The local board was allowed to provide houses for the reception of the dead prior to burial. They could also apply to the General Board to have an existing graveyard closed.
• Land: The local board could purchase land.