Don’t be a pain on your drain this Christmas

Tipping turkey fat, gravy and other leftovers down the plughole can cause havoc in our drains and sewers. Save yourself a potential problem this Christmas and allow your festive fats to cool and solidify before throwing them away.

Oils and greasy foods overload the sewer - whether from roasting tins emptied down the drain or trimmings washed down the sink. The fats do not break down in our sewers; they cling to wastepipes, attaching to other waste, causing build-ups in our pipes and creating blockages. After that, they back-up, bringing flood misery into the home.

In the UK alone, water companies estimate it costs around £90 million a year to unblock sewers, with an estimated 366,000 sewer blockages a year caused by inappropriate substances like fat, oil and grease. These figures do not include the human and environmental impact and cost.

Sarah Mukherjee, Director of Environment at Water UK, said:

"Christmas should be a time for celebration. However, the merriment could be ruined by the financial and emotional costs of a sewer flood in your home, so it is worth taking every step possible to prevent this from happening to you over the festive period.

"On behalf of everyone at Water UK, we wish you a merry - and blockage free - Christmas."

Water UK Communications
0207 344 1805