The board of health of a city or general health district shall abate and remove all nuisances within its jurisdiction. It may, by order, compel the owners, agents, assignees, occupants, or tenants of any lot, property, building, or structure to abate and remove any nuisance therein, and prosecute such persons for neglect or refusal to obey such orders. Except in cities having a building department, or otherwise exercising the power to regulate the erection of buildings, the board may regulate the location, construction, and repair of water closets, privies, cesspools, sinks, plumbing, and drains. In cities having such departments or exercising such power, the legislative authority, by ordinance, shall prescribe such rules and regulations as are approved by the board and shall provide for their enforcement.

The board may regulate the location, construction, and repair of yards, pens, and stables, and the use, emptying, and cleaning of such yards, pens, and stables and of water closets, privies, cesspools, sinks, plumbing, drains, or other places where offensive or dangerous substances or liquids are or may accumulate.

When a building, erection, excavation, premises, business, pursuit, matter, or thing, or the sewerage, drainage, plumbing, or ventilation thereof is, in the opinion of the board, in a condition dangerous to life or health, and when a building or structure is occupied or rented for living or business purposes and sanitary plumbing and sewerage are feasible and necessary, but neglected or refused, the board may declare it a public nuisance and order it to be removed, abated, suspended, altered, or otherwise improved or purified by the owner, agent, or other person having control thereof or responsible for such condition, and may prosecute him for the refusal or neglect to obey such order. The board may, by its officers and employees, remove, abate, suspend, alter, or otherwise improve or purify such nuisance and certify the costs and expense thereof to the county auditor, to be assessed against the property and thereby made a lien upon it and collected as other taxes.

Effective Date: 10-01-1953.