‘Christmas fats not good for sink’
CLEAN Coasts and Irish Water have launched a “Think Before You Pour” Christmas campaign to raise awareness of the damage caused by pouring fats, oils and greases from the roast turkey Christmas dinner down the kitchen sink.
Fats, oils and greases (FOGs) may seem like liquid when poured but once they reach the pipes they cool and can cause blockages in the sewer pipes in homes, businesses, the public sewer network, wastewater treatment plants and ultimately damage the environment. When FOGs combine with wipes and other sanitary items that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet, fatbergs can form. There have been more than 6,000 sewer blockages in the public sewer network so far this year caused by FOGs being poured down the sink and wipes and other inappropriate items being flushed down the toilet.
Anthony Skeffington, Irish Water said: “The size and scale of the task of keeping the sewer network flowing is substantial. So far this year we have cleared more than 6,000 blockages from the sewer network across the country and many of these were avoidable. That’s why raising awareness of the issue through this Christmas campaign is so important.”