South West could fill over 2,800 bath tubs with fat from Christmas turkeys
We are being urged not to let fats, oils and greases go down the sink
People across Cornwall are being urged to avoid a foul festive season this Christmas by preventing cooking fats, oils and greases from going down the sink.
South West Water says a medium sized turkey produces up to three quarters of a pint of fat and if put down pipes it cools and could potentially block them.
If each of the almost one million households served by South West Water across Devon and Cornwall poured their turkey fat down their sinks it would mean the equivalent of over 2,800 bathtubs full of fat entering our sewers, an equivalent of 422,786 litres.
That could then create fatbergs and cause blockages.
South West Water’s Wastewater Director, Iain Vosper, said: “Don’t let the fat from your festive feast come back and haunt you as a ghost of Christmas past, causing blockages and fatbergs. Think about your sink this Christmas time, and don’t dispose cooking fats, oils and greases down the drain.
“Tens of thousands of litres of waste fat, cooking oil and grease are poured down sinks in the South West each year along with food waste which can build up in pipes.
“These mix with wrongly flushed items such as wet wipes, hygiene wipes, cleaning wipes, cleansing pads and sanitary products causing blocked sewers which can lead to flooding in your homes and in the environment.
“Every year we deal with around 8,500 blocked sewers across our region, around one every hour and these can increase the risk of flooding and damage to customers’ homes and properties.
“So don’t let fat spoil the festivities this Christmas and play your part by only flushing the 3Ps – pee, paper and poo – down the loo, and avoid pouring fats, oils and greases down your sink.”
South West Water serves around two million customers across the South West and in its region alone over 200,000 wet wipes find their way into the sewage network each day.
Last year the water company removed over 450 tonnes of unflushables such as wet wipes, sanitary products and cotton pads from pumping stations, the equivalent of 73 million wet wipes and 30 double decker buses.
Top tips for festive feasts
You can avoid any nasty surprises by following South West Water’s top tips for easy steps to stop the block:
Scrape
Scrape food scraps and fat off your plates and into your bin or food waste recycling.
Collect
Use a container or Gunk Pot to collect cooled fats, oils and grease from roasting trays and frying pans. Put a sink strainer over the plughole to prevent any leftover bits going down the sink.
Wipe
Give plates and pans a quick wipe with kitchen roll or newspaper to remove any liquid fat or grease before putting in the sink or dishwasher, or use kitchen foil.
Empty/recycle
Empty your full container or Gunk Pot into your kitchen bin, then wipe it out with kitchen roll ready to reuse.
Find out more on the ThinkSink! website here.