Cleansing etc., of swampy land

(1) Where it appears to any health officer that any swamp-land, low lying lot, open ditch, or other place is in such a filthy or unwholesome condition that the health of any person is injuriously affected or endangered thereby or that the cleansing, filling-in or draining of such swamp-land, low lying lot, open ditch or other place would tend to check or prevent disease, a health officer shall give notice in writing to the owner or occupier of the swamp-land, low lying lot, open ditch or other place to cleanse, fill-in or drain, as the case may be, the swamp-land, low lying lot, open ditch, or place within a certain specified time, and when the notice directs the filling-in of land, it shall state the level to which the filling-in is to be carried out, and when it directs the draining of land it shall state the place of outlet of the drain. (2) If the person to whom notice is so given wilfully fails to comply therewith within the time specified he is guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding two dollars for every day in which he continues to make default, and the health officer may if he thinks fit cause the swamp-land, low lying lot, open ditch or other place to be filled in, drained or cleansed as the case may be, and may recover in a summary manner the expenses incurred by him in so doing from the person in default or the Director of Health Services may declare such expenses to be private improvement expenses.