Festive home cooks urged to avoid costly kitchen drain blockages in Cumbria

Home cooks in Cumbria have been advised to take extra care this Christmas to avoid blockages in their kitchen drains caused by fats, oils, and grease.

United Utilities is warning against washing cooking waste such as festive fats and grease down sink drains, as these can harden and build up to create problematic blockages known as fatbergs.

The region sees an increase in such incidents during the festive season, with popular foods often containing fats that can end up clogging pipes if not disposed of correctly.

The scale of the problem

Last year, United Utilities prevented nearly 1,500 tonnes of cooking fats, oils, and grease (FOG) from entering drains.

Despite efforts to mitigate the issue regionally there were still over 2,000 avoidable blockages this year. Emergency interventions within homes and businesses, as well as sewage flooding, mean additional costs and disruption for residents.

Expert advice to stop blockages

United Utilities’ Wastewater Network Protection Manager Andy Peet has advised households to keep FOG out of drains and pipes to avoid expensive problems.

"It can be really tempting to wash leftovers down the drain after a big festive meal, but those leftovers can cause a nasty blockage," Peet said.

"When FOG congeals in the drain, it mixes with food scraps and other products, such as flushed wet wipes, and can cause a blockage. As this happens, the capacity of pipes is restricted, limiting the flow of wastewater. This can lead to sewer flooding in homes and businesses, leaving an unpleasant mess to sort out, or pollution in local rivers and streams.

"Blockages on private property may need the services of an emergency plumber which can be expensive and not what anyone needs, especially at Christmas.

"Our advice is to scrape leftovers and cooled cooking fats, oils into the bin to keep drains and pipes blockage-free."

With around £10m annually spent by United Utilities clearing blocked sewer pipes and drains, the company notes that as much as 60% of blockages can be avoided by simple changes to kitchen practices.