Septic tanks 'full to the brim' after waste ban

Some septic tank owners in Cornwall have said their tanks have been left "full to the brim" after a water company banned commercial waste contractors from using treatment works during wet weather.

South West Water (SWW) said it imposed the ban at its treatment works at Hayle on 24 February and lifted it on 8 March.

It said it followed periods of heavy and continuous rain in February.

One waste disposal company said it was still trying to clear a backlog of waste after the temporary ban.

Linda Martin, the director of waste disposal firm Pellows, said the septic tanks of some of their customers were so full they could not flush the toilet.

"It's been heartbreaking, we've had little old ladies crying on the phone to us that they can't use their toilets, they can't do any washing, they've had to move out and go to a B&B," she said.

"It's been awful and stressful for the staff because you get people pleading on the phone... we can only do so much."

Sally Herriett, from Breage, near Helston, said she rang a waste disposal operator at the beginning of March for it to be emptied but was told she would have to wait until the end of the month.

"I just thought, hang on a minute, I'm going to have to cross my legs for an awfully long time to get to the end of the month," she said.

"I live in the middle of Breage and I know pretty much everyone in the village is on a septic tank."

SWW said it needed to close the treatment works in Hayle to avoid the system from becoming overwhelmed during heavy and continuous rain in February.

It said it was under no statutory obligation to accept the waste but it was working with commercial operators to help.

The Environment Agency said waste disposal facilities could only accept waste if not under storm conditions.

It said it was supporting tanker waste companies in Cornwall by allowing firms to store 60,000 litres of septic tank waste without a permit for up to three months.

"It is for the tanker companies to look at the resilience of their business operating models and factor in climate change pressures and the challenges this is bringing to places like Cornwall," it added.

"Business resilience measures may mean that tanker companies have to invest in larger permitted temporary storage facilities for septic tank waste to manage wet weather closures by SWW."