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44 - When there has been any failure to erect or maintain any tank required by this Ordinance to 
be erected or maintained, and where proceedings have been or are to be instituted for recovery of any 
penalty for such failure, the Local Board of the district within which such building is situated may, by 
written notice, require the owner within a reasonable time therein specified to erect a tank capable of 
holding the prescribed quantity, or to do such work as may be necessary to put the tank in good 
order ; and if such notice is not complied with, the Local Board may, at the expiration of the time 
specified in the notice, erect such tank, or do the work specified in such notice, and may recover in a 
summary manner the expenses incurred by them in so doing, or may by order declare the same to be 
private improvement expenses. 
45- Every Local Board may, and when required by the Central Board shall, construct and maintain 
tanks and reservoirs for the storage of rain or fresh water as may be necessary, and may sell all the 
water so stored, or permit the free use thereof. 
46. Every Local Board may make bye-laws for regulating the issue of water from any tank or 
reservoir under their charge. 
47. Every person who wilfully fouls any water in a tank or reservoir, or who wilfully wastes any 
water stored in a tank or reservoir, or who wilfully damages any tank or reservoir, or any guttering, 
pipe, cover, platform, roof, tap or pump connected therewith, shall be liable on summary conviction 
to a penalty not exceeding fifty dollars ; and shall in addition be liable to pay to the person aggrieved 
such sum, not exceeding one hundred dollars, by way of compensation for such fouling or wasting such 
water, as the Court may consider adequate, and in the case of damage to pay to such person the cost 
of repairing the same, and such cost shall be ascertained and determined by such Court. 
Unfortunately, by an Ordinance (No. 22 of 1899) sections 32 to 44 were 
repealed, and thus a most wise measure, as subsequent events have amply- 
proved, was cancelled. 
Early in May of this year. Dr. Harrison, acting as Medical Officer of 
Health for Belize, drew attention to the inadequate water supply, and to the 
fact, since corroborated by Mr. Burchell and myself, that 50 per cent, of the 
population were not supplied with proper vats, and that, in consequence, odd 
receptacles were used. The Medical Officer of Health added “ that if it were 
not for the fact that a goodly number of the population rely on the generosity 
of householders to give them water, also that a fair quantity is sold by 
private persons, the storage as it stands just now would be a failure.” The 
requirements of the inhabitants of Belize are fortunately not much as regards 
water, there are no manufactories nor water-closets to Hush, so that a supply of 
10 gallons per head per diem would, it is stated, suffice, and with the rainfall 
of Belize, it is practicable to procure such a quantity during a very considerable 
portion of the year. 
After the outbreak, Mr. Burchell, the Superintendent of Public Works, who 
arrived in the Colony on July 31st of this year, made an examination of the 
sanitary condition of the town of Belize, and drew up a report upon the preliminary 
measures which appeared to him to be desirable. He urged — in addition to the 
cleaning of brush and opening of drains and canals, the continuation of the 
extermination of the mosquito, the screening of tanks, removal and destruction 
of pots and odd receptacles which would afford breeding places — that the 
poorer people be provided (a) with barrel covers with a hole in the centre 
for the admission of water covered with suitable gauze : ( 6 ) cheap wood 
spigots to insert in each barrel for drawing off water without removing the 
cover. This recommendation, amongst others, was finally passed, and the 
Legislative Council voted a certain sum with which to carry them out. 
Action upon these recommendations was, however, deferred until I had 
arrived in Belize and had an opportunity of myself making an examination 
