Severn Trent Water issues warning to Christmas dinner chefs

They're asking people to discard turkey fat properly to avoid serious sewer blockages

Author: Isabel KimbreyPublished 24th Dec 2020

The turkey is cooked to perfection, the potatoes roasted, the pigs in are in their blankets and you're ready to tuck into your Christmas feast.

But something people don't usually think about is where all the fat goes from cooking the turkey.

Ahead of the big day, Gloucestershire's water provider Severn Trent has issued a warning to people about pouring fat and oils down the sink.

Grant Mitchel, the company's Sewer Blockages Lead, said:

"The sewer system is there to take away all the dirty stuff you flush away. Sewers do get blocked by things like wet wipes, ear buds and kitchen roll, but it's the fat that bonds all these together.

"This fat then congeals, gets cooled down the sewers, mixes with all the other stuff and causes a blockage - or as we may know it - a fatberg."

Fatbergs stop the flow of the sewage waste going off to the treatment works and instead comes back up into people's houses, gardens and also in rivers - with the water supplier attending around 40,000 blockages a year.

Severn Trent Water is called out to 40,000 sewer blockages a year

A blocked drain is certainly not one anyone's Christmas list but there are ways you can avoid it happening.

"With oil from turkey and potatoes that's gathered in a baking tray, you can let it cool and put it in a pot which can be recycled in a food caddy or that can be put in the bin.

"The other key message we have is that people need to be aware of fats that aren't as visible. Fats that are in things like gravy, creams and sauces can also cause issues in the sewers."

Other ways people can ensure they have no drain disasters is to wipe off any leftovers on a plate with a kitchen towel into the bin or even get a strainer to put in the sink to catch any bits of food.

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