A medium-sized turkey, which many of us will be enjoying today, may produce up to three-quarters of a pint of fat. If every South West Water customer emptied their fats down the drain, it would be comparable to 2,800 full bathtubs entering the sewer system.
Today, Britons are being reminded not to pour their beef fats down the drain to prevent clogging of the water system.
South West Water wants to prevent the buildup of so-called fatbergs during the holiday season, which is typically produced by individuals emptying filthy, fowl fluids from holiday feasts down the sink while they are still hot, causing the pipes to clog as they cool.
According to the company, a medium-sized turkey, which many of us will consume today, can produce up to three-quarters of a pint of fat. If every household served by South West Water emptied its fats down the drain, it would be comparable to 2,800 full bathtubs entering the sewer system.
Guy Doble, director of wastewater recovery, treatment, and networks for the company, stated: “Don’t let the fat from your holiday meal mar the holiday by generating clogs and fatbergs.
“In the South West, tens of thousands of liters of waste fat, cooking oil, and grease are dumped down sinks annually, along with food waste, which can clog pipes.
“These substances combine with improperly flushed goods like wet wipes, hygiene wipes, cleaning wipes, cleansing pads, and sanitary products, resulting in clogged sewers that can cause floods in your homes and the environment.
“In our region, we deal with approximately 8,500 blocked sewers per year, or one every hour, which can increase the danger of floods and property damage to customers’ homes and businesses.
Don’t let fat ruin the party this Christmas; do your part by flushing only the 3Ps – pee, paper, and poop – and avoiding pouring fats, oils, and greases down your sink.
The removal of a fatberg weighing the equivalent of a home from a London sewer beneath Canary Wharf took more than two weeks last year.
It took more than a month to remove a fatberg in Birmingham that measured more than one kilometer in length and weighed 300 tonnes.
Approximately 450 tonnes of non-flushable materials, including wet wipes, sanitary goods, and cotton pads, are removed annually from South West Water’s system, which serves over two million people in Devon and Cornwall.
