Narrative:

Our aircraft for this flight was either late to arrive or it was a change from the original one we were supposed to have. Additionally, united states customs was on board for about 15 mins. As such, we were a bit delayed and the cabin service, catering and boarding were, as usual, being somewhat rushed. As we were beginning the pushback, the #1 flight attendant called to inform us that the aft lavatories were full and very odorous. We stopped the pushback and called ramp to inquire as to whether or not they had been svced. Sometime later, I was informed that the t-handle for dumping the lavatories was broken. We called for maintenance to manually dump the lavatories. When a maintenance person came on the interphone, he stated that it would be about an hour, as they had to remove cargo from the aft in order to gain access to the dumping valve. He asked us to ask a flight attendant to check as to whether they were able to flush the aft lavatories. We did so, and the lavatories were operational. The maintenance person wanted to put a message in the system and have the lavatories dumped at destination airport. I was concerned about something being broken and asked him about it. He assured me that it was only the handle which is inside the closed access cover. As such, I agreed to depart as we were. I did again verify with him that he was going to put a message into the system. I asked for his name. He then asked for my name. En route to destination, I finally got out the MEL and found MEL which addresses having to manually dump a lavatory. The requirement to check the valve for leaks was my main concern, although since we did not actually have a manual dump performed, I'm not sure whether we were in violation. I now believe that the matter should have been dealt with at jfk before departure. Upon arrival at destination, the mechanic knew nothing of our problem and a call to maintenance controller confirmed that nothing had been put into the system by maintenance. The item was placarded and all inspections complied with. I would also wonder why at jfk, when service was first done or attempted, that someone would not have informed operations or maintenance about the broken handle.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200. PURSER FLT ATTENDANT TOLD THE CREW THAT THE AFT LAVATORIES HAD NOT BEEN SVCED FOR AN INTL FLT.

Narrative: OUR ACFT FOR THIS FLT WAS EITHER LATE TO ARRIVE OR IT WAS A CHANGE FROM THE ORIGINAL ONE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE. ADDITIONALLY, UNITED STATES CUSTOMS WAS ON BOARD FOR ABOUT 15 MINS. AS SUCH, WE WERE A BIT DELAYED AND THE CABIN SVC, CATERING AND BOARDING WERE, AS USUAL, BEING SOMEWHAT RUSHED. AS WE WERE BEGINNING THE PUSHBACK, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO INFORM US THAT THE AFT LAVATORIES WERE FULL AND VERY ODOROUS. WE STOPPED THE PUSHBACK AND CALLED RAMP TO INQUIRE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAD BEEN SVCED. SOMETIME LATER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE T-HANDLE FOR DUMPING THE LAVATORIES WAS BROKEN. WE CALLED FOR MAINT TO MANUALLY DUMP THE LAVATORIES. WHEN A MAINT PERSON CAME ON THE INTERPHONE, HE STATED THAT IT WOULD BE ABOUT AN HR, AS THEY HAD TO REMOVE CARGO FROM THE AFT IN ORDER TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE DUMPING VALVE. HE ASKED US TO ASK A FLT ATTENDANT TO CHK AS TO WHETHER THEY WERE ABLE TO FLUSH THE AFT LAVATORIES. WE DID SO, AND THE LAVATORIES WERE OPERATIONAL. THE MAINT PERSON WANTED TO PUT A MESSAGE IN THE SYS AND HAVE THE LAVATORIES DUMPED AT DEST ARPT. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT SOMETHING BEING BROKEN AND ASKED HIM ABOUT IT. HE ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS ONLY THE HANDLE WHICH IS INSIDE THE CLOSED ACCESS COVER. AS SUCH, I AGREED TO DEPART AS WE WERE. I DID AGAIN VERIFY WITH HIM THAT HE WAS GOING TO PUT A MESSAGE INTO THE SYS. I ASKED FOR HIS NAME. HE THEN ASKED FOR MY NAME. ENRTE TO DEST, I FINALLY GOT OUT THE MEL AND FOUND MEL WHICH ADDRESSES HAVING TO MANUALLY DUMP A LAVATORY. THE REQUIREMENT TO CHK THE VALVE FOR LEAKS WAS MY MAIN CONCERN, ALTHOUGH SINCE WE DID NOT ACTUALLY HAVE A MANUAL DUMP PERFORMED, I'M NOT SURE WHETHER WE WERE IN VIOLATION. I NOW BELIEVE THAT THE MATTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH AT JFK BEFORE DEP. UPON ARR AT DEST, THE MECH KNEW NOTHING OF OUR PROB AND A CALL TO MAINT CTLR CONFIRMED THAT NOTHING HAD BEEN PUT INTO THE SYS BY MAINT. THE ITEM WAS PLACARDED AND ALL INSPECTIONS COMPLIED WITH. I WOULD ALSO WONDER WHY AT JFK, WHEN SVC WAS FIRST DONE OR ATTEMPTED, THAT SOMEONE WOULD NOT HAVE INFORMED OPS OR MAINT ABOUT THE BROKEN HANDLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.