Consumers urged not to pour turkey fat down sink
South West Water said a single medium-sized turkey produces up to three-quarters of a pint of fat and could create a fatberg in sewers.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A water firm is reminding customers to help avoid a foul festive season and fight off fatbergs by not putting cooking fats, oils and grease down the sink.
South West Water said a single medium-sized turkey produces up to three-quarters of a pint of fat which, if poured down pipes, could potentially block them when it cools.
With almost one million households served by South West Water across Devon and Cornwall, if each one poured their turkey fat down their sinks it would mean 422,786 litres – the equivalent of more than 2,800 full bathtubs – entering the sewers.
Guy Doble, South West Water’s director of wastewater recovery, treatment and networks, said: “Don’t let the fat from your festive feast ruin your Christmas by causing blockages and fatbergs.
“Think about your sink over the seasonal period, and at all times, and don’t dispose of 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 more than 200,000 wet wipes find their way into the sewage network each day.
Each year the water company removes around 450 tonnes of unflushables such as wet wipes, sanitary products and cotton pads from pumping stations, the equivalent of 73 million wet wipes.