Section 23

Subject to this section, the Director may at any time declare that any private sewer shall, as from such date as may be specified in the declaration, become vested in the Government: Provided that the Director who proposes to make a declaration under this subsection shall give notice of his proposal to the owner or owners of the sewer in question and shall take no further action in the matter until either one month has lapsed without an appeal against his proposal being lodged under subsection (2), or, as the case may be, until an appeal so lodged has been determined.

An owner aggrieved by the proposal of the Director to make a declaration under this section may appeal to the Minister within one month after the notice of the proposal is served upon him. On the hearing of an appeal under this subsection the Minister may allow or disallow the proposal of the Director or, as the case may be, make any declaration which the Director might have made and any declaration so made shall have the same effect as if it has been made by the Director under this section.

A declaration under this section may be made with respect to a part only of a sewer.

Where any declaration has been made in respect of a private sewer, the Director shall maintain the sewer and, if he sees fit, enlarge, alter or otherwise improve such sewer and may discontinue, close up or destroy such sewer as he thinks necessary as if it is a sewer constructed by the Director. If by reason of the alteration or closing up of any such sewer any person is deprived of the lawful use of the sewer, the Director shall with due diligence provide some other sewer as effectual as the one of which he is so deprived.[22