Privy Rules and Regulations

The ordinances governing privies evolved over time. For example, privies were at first ordered to be deep "at least seven feet" into the ground in 1831 then "at least three feet deep" in 1856, and then "no more than two feet deep" by 1896. The city council modified their regulations based on contemporary scientific opinion. In the early antebellum, authorities operated on "out of site, out of mind" paradigm that ascribed to burying waste as far down and away from the household as possible. However, disease continued to descend upon the city, especially as these deep pits would be difficult, expensive, and unpleasant to clean out. By the mid-antebellum, the presiding sentiment, and recommendation from the Louisiana Board of Health recommended shallower privies that would be easier to clean and lined with brick and cement. By the 1896 Ordinances, the city council recommended very shallow privies that would have to be cleaned out with regularity, and whose property owners would incur steep finds for those privies found leaky or defective.

Ordinances Related to Privies from the City Council, 1831

City Council Ordinance Article 5 from the General Digest of the Ordinances and Resolutions of the Corporation of New Orleans 1831. Courtesy of Google Books.
City Council Ordinance Article 6 from the General Digest of the Ordinances and Resolutions of the Corporation of New Orleans 1831. Courtesy of Google Books.
City Council Ordinance Article 8 from the General Digest of the Ordinances and Resolutions of the Corporation of New Orleans 1831. Courtesy of Google Books.

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Ordinances Related to Privies from the Common Council,1856

Common Council Ordinance No. 543 from the Laws and General Ordinances of the City of New Orleans 1856. Courtesy of Google Books.
Common Council Ordinance No. 544 from the Laws and General Ordinances of the City of New Orleans 1856. Courtesy of Google Books.
Common Council Ordinance No. 546 from the Laws and General Ordinances of the City of New Orleans 1856. Courtesy of Google Books.

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Ordinances Related to Privies from the City Council, 1896

Ordinance No. 856 from the Flynn's Digest of the City Ordinances of the City of New Orleans 1896. Courtesy of Google Books.
Ordinance No. 1701 from the Flynn's Digest of the City Ordinances of the City of New Orleans 1896. Courtesy of Google Books.
Ordinance No. 1703 from the Flynn's Digest of the City Ordinances of the City of New Orleans 1896. Courtesy of Google Books.
Ordinance No. 1704 from the Flynn's Digest of the City Ordinances of the City of New Orleans 1896. Courtesy of Google Books.
Ordinance No. 1710 from the Flynn's Digest of the City Ordinances of the City of New Orleans 1896. Courtesy of Google Books.

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