Public Awareness

 

  1. ✦Do you get rid of grease, fat or oil down your sink? 

  2. ✦Did you know that you could be causing yourself an expensive problem?

  3. ✦Did you know that waste grease is an environmental hazard?

Read on to find out why . . .

Grease, fats and oils are a real problem in drains and sewers.  Quite simply, they harden and block pipes.  This can lead to sewers backing up and flooding homes, businesses, gardens or streets.

Grease, fats and oil usually get into the drainage system via the kitchen sink.  When grease comes into contact with detergents like washing up liquid and hot water, it dissolves.  The liquid goes down the drain and as the pipes are deep underground they are very cold, this cools the grease, which sticks to the side of the pipe and hardens.  Some detergents claim to dissolve grease and it may pass through your pipe but it will settle elsewhere in the sewer network.

If the blockage occurs in your drain, you will have to pay to have it cleared which could be expensive.  If the blockage occurs in the sewer it could cause sewer flooding which can be very unpleasant for those affected and expensive to clear.  This is an ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH HAZARD!

WHAT CAN YOU DO?


To dispose of used cooking oil

  1. •Let it cool down

  2. •Pour it into an old container, make sure it is sealed and throw it in your rubbish bin

  3. •OR soak up the fat with kitchen roll and or newspaper & put it in the rubbish bin.

  4. •Scrape or wipe pans and plates to remove food and grease before washing up

  5. •Make sure your kitchen sink has a strainer in the plug hole to prevent waste food from getting into the waste pipe

  6. •Take particular care with waste rice to prevent it going down the waste pipe

  7. •Use waste grease to make a bird cake

  8.    (Birds are particularly grateful in winter)

  9.     Bird cake recipe

  10. 1.Mix some seeds, nuts, oatmeal or dried fruit into the warm fat.  Use about 1/3 fat to 2/3 mixture,  mix, allow to set in a container of your choice.

  11. 2.If you are going to hang it up, insert a piece of string into the pot and allow the fat to cool.

  12. 3.When solid, turn out the contents of pot, either hang or place on a bird table.

FACTS

  1. •Grease poured down the the sink solidifies in underground sewer pipes causing blockages affecting your property and others

  2. •Flushing hot soapy water with the grease down your sink will not stop it from blocking the pipes or sewers.  The surrounding ground keeps the pipe cool and sets the grease.  You will simply be wasting water and energy.

  3. •Some detergents claim to de-solve grease.  The grease may pass down your pipe but, it will settles out elsewhere in the sewer network and still have an impact on your home and environment.

  4. •As hot fat moves down the cold pipe, it cools and sets on the pipe wall, eventually reducing the diameter of the pipe and increasing the risk of blockage which can cause flooding and pollution.

  5. •Blockages will not only cause an inconvenience and cost to you but can cause overflows into rivers. streams and ocean, endangering the environment and wildlife.

  6. •Your regional council spend large amounts of customers” money removing grease from the sewers that shouldn’t be there in the first place.

WAITAKERE CITY COUNCIL has some good suggestions for your homes and waste water septic system.  more