Public Health

In 1913 a letter from Local Government Board stated that the Burgh Sanitary Inspector “had reported there is no regular system of cleansing in Aberchirder and would advise the Town Council it should contract for periodic removal of ashpit contents”. After the First World War  the Town Council agreed that ashpits to be cleaned out by contract in future and a tender from George Donald was accepted.

By this time the Town Council was also under pressure from the Government to replace privies with WCs. In 1925 the Sanitary Inspector reported that only 32 properties had WCs, while 114 had none.

The Town Council insisted a switch to WCs was impossible because many proprietors were very poor and there were regular summer water shortages. It also pointed out sewage went untreated into Auckland Burn!

 However householders were banned from putting human waste in the ashpits which were cleaned out quarterly, while the number of WCs gradually increased and some house owners installed septic tanks.

 The year 1938 also saw the opening of a public convenience in Market Street.