Cesspit users urged to sign up to online portal

Hundreds of people have signed up to a new website which removes the need for customers to call for information on cesspit collections, Guernsey Water has said.

MyCesspit Portal was launched in November as a free service to give cesspit customers "complete visibility" of when their next collection is due.

Guernsey Water said 900 of the 5,500 cesspit owners in the island had signed up to the service and encouraged its remaining customers to do the same.

Andrea Simpson, Guernsey Water business change manager, said the main benefit of the service was an email notification system, which notifies customers when their cesspit has been emptied.

In June 2024 Guernsey Water said it would start charging customers if staff were unable to access or empty cesspits.

Ms Simpson said: "We heard customers loud and clear that not having any way of knowing if their pit had been collected was a source of deep frustration.

"This system removes that irritation and I would encourage all cesspit customers to sign up."

In the new system, emails are sent out if a collection was attempted but a driver could not gain access or if the collection was not required.

Guernsey Water said additional functions were due to be added throughout 2025, including the ability to rearrange collections and provide service updates.

Ms Simpson added: "This will be particularly important if we have to suspend services, such as during Storm Ciarán a few years ago.

"For the first time ever we will be able to directly talk to our cesspit customers quickly and easily."

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