Saving...
21 December, 2017 8:37
Queensland Urban Utilities has released new CCTV footage to reveal how fatbergs are clogging our sewers.
Fatbergs form when cooking oils and fats tipped down the sink meet up with other nasties that shouldn’t be in the sewer, like wet wipes.
Queensland Urban Utilities spokesperson, Michelle Cull, said Christmas is a good time of year to help our sewers cut the fat.
“The festive season can be more like the fatberg season, with many people washing the fat from baked ham and roast meats straight down the sink,” she said.
“It might seem harmless and convenient, but hot cooking fat cools while travelling through the sewers and solidifies into a smelly mass.
“Fatbergs are a major cause of blockages in our pipes, but they can also cause blockages in household plumbing, potentially costing hundreds of dollars to repair.”
A Queensland Urban Utilities survey* found one in four people washed cooking oils down the kitchen sink.
It also found 50 per cent of people tip leftover sauces and dips down the plughole, while almost 15 per cent wash food scraps down the sink.
There are simple ways people can prevent their big Christmas feast causing a big fatberg problem.
“Wipe the grease from pans with a paper towel or pour cooking oils into a container and throw it in the bin,” Ms Cull said.
“It’s also a good idea to scrape your Christmas leftovers into the rubbish bin instead of the sink.
“The message is simple - ‘think at the sink’ - and avoid a jolly big plumbing problem.”
Fatty Figures
- 1 in 4 people pour cooking oils down the sink
- 50% wash leftover sauces and/or dips down the sink
- 18% wash coffee grinds down the sink
- 14% of people scrape food scraps into the sink