Over 215,000 litres of fats, oils and grease have been stopped from going down the drain in food establishments across the region as a result of the efforts of South West Water over the last 18 months.
Working alongside contract partners ECAS (Environmental Compliance and Services), the water company has upped its ante on fighting dreaded fatbergs by engaging with and supporting more food service establishments across Devon and Cornwall than ever before.
The process starts with South West Water’s operational teams identifying key areas in the region where blockages occur. Once located, on behalf of South West Water, ECAS representatives visit these hotspot locations and work with local commercial kitchens on finding resolutions to the issues they are facing.
This could include introducing new grease trapping equipment, identifying overlooked actions of misuse, and educating the kitchen teams on how to dispose of fat, oils and greases responsibly by introducing new and improved habits.
Andrew Blake, Project Manager at South West Water, said: “Through our efforts to raise awareness of the problems that fats, oils and greases cause in our network and the subsequent environment following blockages, in around two-thirds of Devon and Cornwall we are seeing fewer incidents relating to these issues. This is a great step in the right direction to ensuring everyone is responsibly disposing of fats, oils and grease, but we can all still do more.”
Marc Downes, Client Liaison Manager at ECAS, said: “The results we have seen through our work with South West Water to date have been phenomenal. Now that the peak season for food businesses in the southwest region has begun, it’s fantastic that most of the fat produced by the commercial kitchens we’ve supported will be diverted from the sewers.
“We’re proud of the progress that has been made and we’re excited about what’s to come.”
Fats, oils and greases do not only impact businesses and South West Water is urging all of its customers to avoid allowing them to escape down their drains with these helpful top tips:
- Dry-wipe dirty pots, pans, plates, and cutlery into a bin before rinsing them under a running tap or putting them into the dishwasher. That way, residual grease won’t get washed down your drains.
- Allow used cooking oil to cool down and store it safely in a sealed container away from the drains. If you’re a food business, arrange for it to be collected by a registered waste carrier who may buy it from you to recycle into biofuel.
- Use a sink strainer to collect food debris so it doesn’t escape down the plughole.
- Avoid sweeping rubbish that’s accumulated on your kitchen floor into floor drains. Instead, use a dustpan and brush then pop it in the bin.
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