Cabin attendant informs flight crew of B737-500 that lavatory fluids smell as if contaminated with f...

Narrative:

During cruise flight after departing ZZZ1; the purser called to inform me that the forward lavatory smelled of fuel after the toilet was flushed. She also said that the lavatory fluid was a murky blue; which I noticed after using the lavatory prior to departure (I assumed that perhaps it was a new type of fluid). While I attempted to contact ZZZ1 via ACARS; the purser called back to say that the aft lavatories had the same problem. We temporarily locked the lavatories while I contacted dispatch via VHF to ask them to contact ZZZ1 operations concerning the lavatory fluid; as I saw the lavatories being svced during the predep exterior inspection. The purser asked a deadheading pilot to check the lavatory; and he called via the interphone to explain his findings. He said that the lavatory fluid was certainly different; but he did not feel the smell was fuel and that there was no safety issue. At this point; I re-opened the lavatories while continuing to pursue the issue with dispatch; who at this point had brought maintenance into the picture. Dispatch contacted me a short time later to explain that ZZZ1 had used the same contractor as always; and that they had been using the same fluid for over 1 yr. I then asked him to get back to me via ACARS after discussing the issue with maintenance. Upon our descent into ZZZ1; approximately 140 NM from the field; dispatch called via VHF to inform me that maintenance had contacted ZZZ1 and had determined that there was fuel contamination in the lavatory fluid. With this new information; I asked the purser to lock all the lavatories; and I informed the passenger that the lavatories would be unavailable for the duration of the flight due to foreign substance contamination in the lavatory fluid. We entered the problem via maintenance code; and determined that ZZZ2 was our best option for landing (nearest in point of time) due to the sequencing occurring with approach control (terminal WX issues). We landed uneventfully (we did not declare anything); taxied to the gate; and conversed with maintenance before departing the plane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT INFORMS FLT CREW OF B737-500 THAT LAVATORY FLUIDS SMELL AS IF CONTAMINATED WITH FUEL. GND INVESTIGATION DETERMINES THE SUSPICION TO BE ACCURATE.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE FLT AFTER DEPARTING ZZZ1; THE PURSER CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT THE FORWARD LAVATORY SMELLED OF FUEL AFTER THE TOILET WAS FLUSHED. SHE ALSO SAID THAT THE LAVATORY FLUID WAS A MURKY BLUE; WHICH I NOTICED AFTER USING THE LAVATORY PRIOR TO DEP (I ASSUMED THAT PERHAPS IT WAS A NEW TYPE OF FLUID). WHILE I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ZZZ1 VIA ACARS; THE PURSER CALLED BACK TO SAY THAT THE AFT LAVATORIES HAD THE SAME PROB. WE TEMPORARILY LOCKED THE LAVATORIES WHILE I CONTACTED DISPATCH VIA VHF TO ASK THEM TO CONTACT ZZZ1 OPS CONCERNING THE LAVATORY FLUID; AS I SAW THE LAVATORIES BEING SVCED DURING THE PREDEP EXTERIOR INSPECTION. THE PURSER ASKED A DEADHEADING PLT TO CHK THE LAVATORY; AND HE CALLED VIA THE INTERPHONE TO EXPLAIN HIS FINDINGS. HE SAID THAT THE LAVATORY FLUID WAS CERTAINLY DIFFERENT; BUT HE DID NOT FEEL THE SMELL WAS FUEL AND THAT THERE WAS NO SAFETY ISSUE. AT THIS POINT; I RE-OPENED THE LAVATORIES WHILE CONTINUING TO PURSUE THE ISSUE WITH DISPATCH; WHO AT THIS POINT HAD BROUGHT MAINT INTO THE PICTURE. DISPATCH CONTACTED ME A SHORT TIME LATER TO EXPLAIN THAT ZZZ1 HAD USED THE SAME CONTRACTOR AS ALWAYS; AND THAT THEY HAD BEEN USING THE SAME FLUID FOR OVER 1 YR. I THEN ASKED HIM TO GET BACK TO ME VIA ACARS AFTER DISCUSSING THE ISSUE WITH MAINT. UPON OUR DSCNT INTO ZZZ1; APPROX 140 NM FROM THE FIELD; DISPATCH CALLED VIA VHF TO INFORM ME THAT MAINT HAD CONTACTED ZZZ1 AND HAD DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS FUEL CONTAMINATION IN THE LAVATORY FLUID. WITH THIS NEW INFO; I ASKED THE PURSER TO LOCK ALL THE LAVATORIES; AND I INFORMED THE PAX THAT THE LAVATORIES WOULD BE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT DUE TO FOREIGN SUBSTANCE CONTAMINATION IN THE LAVATORY FLUID. WE ENTERED THE PROB VIA MAINT CODE; AND DETERMINED THAT ZZZ2 WAS OUR BEST OPTION FOR LNDG (NEAREST IN POINT OF TIME) DUE TO THE SEQUENCING OCCURRING WITH APCH CTL (TERMINAL WX ISSUES). WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY (WE DID NOT DECLARE ANYTHING); TAXIED TO THE GATE; AND CONVERSED WITH MAINT BEFORE DEPARTING THE PLANE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

Attributes
ACN	698208
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 34000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-500
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 141 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	698208
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Cabin attendant informs flight crew of B737-500 that lavatory fluids smell as if contaminated with fuel. Ground investigation determines the suspicion to be accurate.