‘Plan cesspit emptying to make savings’

The utility company recently sent out a letter to the islands 5,500 cesspit owners warning them that, as from Monday, they would be charged £27.18 if drivers came to their property and were unable to access emptying points, or if tanks were less than a quarter full.

Guernsey Water customer services manager Tania Sargent said the catalyst for the letter was a recent cesspit customer survey.

‘The survey asked people their preferred contact method for collecting information, with the vast majority wanting this via email, and we are beginning a project to make this a reality,’ she said.

‘We’ve had excellent engagement with customers after sending the letter, with around 5% contacting us to discuss whether the schedule they were on best suited their needs.

‘Where reviewing the data with the customer has shown an adjustment in frequency can be made, we’ve done it. Collectively, the slight adjustments to individual schedules free up drivers’ time and add resilience into the system, which was the exact purpose of the charges.’

She added that 86% of respondents to the survey said they agreed or strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the service.

‘The main issue identified from the remaining 14% was their cesspit not being emptied consistently on collection days,’ she said. ‘We reviewed our data to see where efficiencies could be made within the service to increase collection capacity without employing additional resources.’

The new charges will affect 2% of yearly collections, and Guernsey Water said the current rate of 4,500 inaccessible or not required loads per year represented the workload of a full-time driver employed for six months.

‘This is a resource we can “gain” for free if that 4,500 number drops to zero,’ she said. ‘We’re asking customers to actively think about their schedule and call us to discuss it, allowing us to check if their schedule is correct or whether it needs adjusting. The ideal scenario for us is that number hitting zero and no charge ever being issued.’

. Customers can call Guernsey Water on 229500 to discuss their schedule.