Don’t let Christmas in July turn into a stinker

Cold Melbourne winters are the ideal time to enjoy a home cooked roast dinner with all the trimmings, but Yarra Valley Water is reminding customers not to let fats and oils cause an expensive stinker of a problem.

Pat McCafferty, Managing Director, said that a family roast dinner or celebrating Christmas in July is a great excuse to get together with loved ones, but make sure a food hangover is all you are left with and not a costly plumbing bill.

“Everything that goes down the kitchen, laundry and bathroom sink or that's flushed down the toilet ends up in the sewerage system. As well as blocking our sewers, grease, fats and oils can also block the pipes within your property, resulting in potential spills both inside and outside of the house and nasty odours.

“Any fats and oils that are put into sewers can also cause us problems in the wider sewer network. When fats and oils cool, they can solidify in sewer pipes and cause blockages, either by themselves or when they snag on tree roots within the sewer. They can also cause bigger blockages in pipes and at pumping stations by combining with other bits and pieces that should not be flushed down the toilet, such as wet wipes. Sewer blockages can result in sewer spills to the environment and odour issues for the local community.”

“It can be easy to forget what to do with the left-over grease, fats and oils. We want to remind customers that there is no such thing as a number three, so please do not put anything else down the drain” added Mr McCafferty.

Handy hints:

• Use a sink strainer to prevent food scraps and other household waste, from going down the drain.
• Pour kitchen fats and oils into a disposable container; seal it and throw it away with the rest of your household rubbish.
• Wipe greasy pots and pans with a paper towel before washing.

To find out what not to put down the drain visit www.yvw.com.au/nonumberthrees