Households are being asked not to pour fats, oils and grease down the drain this Christmas to help protect their wastewater pipes and the wider sewer network.
Households are being asked not to pour fats, oils and grease down the drain this Christmas to help protect their wastewater pipes and the wider sewer network.
The festive season sees an increase in cooking fats and oils – known as FOGs - being poured away, with the traditional Christmas roast a key culprit. These then harden in the network, causing blockages and even fatbergs which can lead to flooding, pollution, and costly repairs.
10 million turkeys are consumed each year in the UK at this time. With a medium-sized turkey producing around three-quarters of a pint of fat, this equates to over 5.6 million litres of fat – enough to fill over 18,500 bathtubs.
South West Water cleared 6,400 blockages last year – 75% of which were caused by FOGs and wet wipes.
To tackle this and help sewers flow freely this Christmas, the company is asking customers to dispose of fats responsibly by wiping pans with kitchen roll before washing up, and to pour used oils and grease into a container then binning once cool.
Jay Harris, South West Water’s Director of Wastewater Services, said: “While everyone is tucking into their Christmas dinners our teams will be out and about clearing blockages – many of which are entirely preventable. By making small changes, we can make all protect the environment and ensure our sewers continue to operate smoothly.
“As well as disposing of FOGs responsibly, please only flush the ‘three Ps’ – pee, poo and paper. This is a really simple and effective way of protecting internal household pipes and the wider sewer network.”
It’s estimated that 200,000 wet wipes are flushed away in our region each day. However, these should go in the bin, along with sanitary products and other non-flushable items.
South West Water is also continuing its partnership with environmental compliance experts, ECAS, who work with businesses and food outlets across the region on how to best dispose of FOGs safely.
Over the past 22 months, this has stopped more than 484,000 litres of fats, oils and grease from going down the drain, and this proactive work will continue in 2025.
ing asked not to pour fats, oils and grease down the drain this Christmas to help protect their wastewater pipes and the wider sewer network.
The festive season sees an increase in cooking fats and oils – known as FOGs - being poured away, with the traditional Christmas roast a key culprit. These then harden in the network, causing blockages and even fatbergs which can lead to flooding, pollution, and costly repairs.
10 million turkeys are consumed each year in the UK at this time. With a medium-sized turkey producing around three-quarters of a pint of fat, this equates to over 5.6 million litres of fat – enough to fill over 18,500 bathtubs.
South West Water cleared 6,400 blockages last year – 75% of which were caused by FOGs and wet wipes.
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