Plans are being put forward to stop the growing problem of dog walkers leaving piles of poo next to a mountain shelter at a Welsh beauty spot.
Dulyn Bothy, next to Llyn Dulyn, in the Carneddau area of Eryri is looked after by the Mountain Bothies Association, which maintains over 100 bothies (a type of shelter) around the UK.
But in recent years they have experienced a growing problem with visitors dumping piles of 'human waste' and rubbish close to the Dulyn Bothy, something also seen at other sites. They say this has accelerated further since the pandemic.
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Richard Grummitt, sanitation officer, Mountain Bothies Association, told NorthWalesLive: "In the early days few people visited the bothies - mainly enthusiastic members of the MBA who adhered to the Bothy Code and buried their waste. Over the intervening years times and attitudes have changed.
"Bothies are are now much busier and visitors are drawn from a much wider slice of society which is great. Unfortunately a minority do not behave appropriately, leaving piles of rubbish and human waste close to bothies and water courses in the surrounding area.
"This is both unsightly and a potential health and environmental hazard. Similar problems in areas all around the UK have been well documented in outdoor pursuit magazines and the general press, particularly since the pandemic."
They now hope to have a solution to help - with plans for a new toilet with an underground vault to store the human waste. Urine will go to a new small stone and gravel soakaway next to the toilet, which would be around 50 metres from the bothy.
The group now hopes to secure planning from officials at Eryri National Park. They say it is a challenging site as there is no power or constant water supply and is two miles from the nearest road. This means a fairly unique solution is needed as a typical composting toilet would need regular servicing, something the group can't provide, although they do visit sites several times a year.
Mr Grummitt said: "I have read the Welsh Government Circular 008/20018 plus other relevant documents and understand all the regulations regarding toilet systems not connected to mains sewerage. I note that the rules are intended for domestic or commercial properties but bothies do not sit comfortably in either group so require sensible interpretation of the guidelines. The MBA have met similar hurdles with the relevant authorities in Scotland and thankfully have always agreed a compromise and I hope we can do so for Dulyn."
The proposal will now be considered by planners.
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