Pouring turkey fat down the drain costs you money

On Christmas Day people in Britain will pour a staggering 15 million cups of roast turkey fat down the kitchen sink without a second thought about what happens to it. That amount is enough to nearly fill an Olympic swimming pool and has a terrible effect on our sewerage system. According to a report from the University of Portsmouth scientists estimate removing fat, oil and grease from sewer pipes adds up to £50m a year to our household bills!

Dr John Williams from the University of Portsmouth said: “Millions will have stretched their finances to the maximum to pay for Christmas without realising they might be storing up hidden costs for later by pouring cooking fat down the kitchen sink.

“Householders who pour fat down the plughole might as well be pouring money down the drain.  Many people do not understand how a modern city runs, which is why sewers are abused.  Sewer systems are designed to use water to transport waste, so adding fat, oil and grease to that leads to sewer clogging and system failure.

Bag it and bin it, don't pour it down the sink

It's not only the cost that we need to worry about but sewer blockages could also cause serious health risks if toilets back up and the sewer overflows. With the flooding we've experience in recent years we all need to help our sewer system work efficiently and avoid fatbergs.  Sewers and treatments works are only built to deal with human waste and toilet paper and not for things such as tampons, sanitary towels, cotton buds, nappies or anything else. Basically, don't use your toilet or sink as a bin – that's what bins are for! I was really surprised what some people flush away in this version of the Twelve Days of Christmas sung by workers from Southern Water.