South West Water is urging households and food businesses this Christmas to take a few simple steps to prevent sewer blockages by keeping fats, oils and grease out of sinks and drains.

Over the last year alone, South West Water cleared over 7,000 avoidable blockages from its wastewater network, removing approximately 450 tonnes of waste.

Around three-quarters of these blockages were caused by just two things: wet wipes and fats, oils and grease (FOG).

The festive season sees an increase in cooking fats and oils being poured away, with the traditional Christmas roast a key culprit.

Around 10 million turkeys are consumed each year in the UK, with a medium-sized turkey producing around three-quarters of a pint of fat - over 5.6 million litres in total, enough to fill more than 18,500 bathtubs!

Blockages thrive on the things we put down our drains and toilets — but without a “food supply”, they can’t grow.

To tackle this and help sewers flow freely this Christmas, South West Water is asking customers to follow these festive tips:

In the bathroom – only flush the three Ps: pee, poo and paper.

Everything else, including wipes (even those labelled as “flushable”), should go in the bin.

In the kitchen – never pour fats, oils or grease down the sink.

Let them cool, scrape or pour them into a container, and put them in the bin or food waste caddy.

Food scraps and coffee grounds should also go in the bin.

Mark Willis, Customer Service & Network Manager for Wastewater Services at South West Water said: “Christmas is a time for enjoying festive meals and celebrating with family, but it’s also a peak period for fats, oils and grease entering the sewer network.

“By following our simple festive tips at home , households can prevent blockages, protect the environment, and help ensure a worry-free Christmas for everyone.”

South West Water is also continuing its partnership with environmental compliance experts, ECAS, who work with businesses and food outlets across the region on how to best dispose of FOGs safely.

During Unblocktober, South West Water reached a major milestone, having prevented more than one million litres of FOG from entering its sewer network thanks to its ongoing partnership with ECAS.

Over the festive period businesses need to be mindful of how they dispose of FOG – and ECAS has given a few tips to help businesses during the festive season, including:

Look after your grease trap – empty, clean and maintain it according to the manufacturer’s guidance.

Dry-wipe pots, plates and utensils into the bin before washing up or putting them in the dishwasher.

Use sink strainers to catch vegetable peelings so they don’t go down the plughole.

Avoid sweeping kitchen floor rubbish into drains.

Once the fat in roasting dishes has cooled, scrape it into the bin rather than rinsing it away, as hot, soapy water carries grease further down the pipes, where it will cool, solidify, and potentially cause blockages.

Marc Downes, Operational Performance Manager at ECAS, said: “We’ve seen firsthand the disruption a blockage can cause to a food business and the potential harm it can do to the environment.

The good news is that it can be avoided by adopting good kitchen practices so everyone, including the sewers, can enjoy the festive season.”

By following these simple festive tips, households and businesses can help keep sewers flowing freely and reduce the risk of flooding throughout the Christmas period.