District committees in Scotland were formed under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict., c.50). They were composed of county councillors from the area together with one representative from each parochial board (later parish council) and one from each burgh, and were responsible for roads and for public health administration out with burghs. District committees could also appoint a sub-committee for the management and maintenance of water supply works or drainage in a special district (Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, 52 & 53 Vict., c.50).
The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict., c.58), provided for the formation by county councils or district committees of special lighting districts and special scavenging districts. Such a district, normally a local area within a parish, would be able to adopt the clauses for the provision of street lighting and the lighting of common stairs, passages and courts, contained in the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892 (55 & 56 Vict., c.55).
District committees were abolished by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 (19 & 20 Geo. V, c.25). Special water supply districts and drainage districts survived successive reforms and were only finally abolished by the Water (Scotland) Act 1949 (12 & 13 Geo. VI, c.31) and the Sewerage (Scotland) Act 1968 (c.47). By that date, however, many of them had already been abolished or merged by the county councils.