Legal Definitions - mill privilege

MILL PRIVILEGE

Mill privilege refers to the right of a mill-site owner to build a mill and use the power from a stream to operate it. However, this right must be exercised while considering the rights of other owners along the stream's path.

For instance, if a landowner has a mill privilege, they can construct a mill on their property and use the water from the stream to power it. However, they must ensure that they do not interfere with the water rights of other landowners downstream.

Another example is when a landowner with a mill privilege diverts water from the stream to their mill, they must ensure that they do not cause any harm to the environment or other landowners' water rights.

The examples illustrate that a mill privilege is a right granted to a landowner to use the water from a stream to power their mill. However, this right must be exercised with due regard to the rights of other landowners along the stream's path. This means that the landowner must not interfere with the water rights of other landowners downstream or cause any harm to the environment.