MAIN FEATURE
as a washing unit, with limited or no pre-cleansing of crockery and utensils, then discharges from the appliance must pass through an appropriate management system.
FOG hotspots
Water utilities’ network protection teams use sewer blockage data to identify FOG hotspots and plan visits to food outlets to investigate their grease management processes. Site managers are informed about responsibly disposing of waste FOG to help reduce blockages and flooding, and reminded of their legal obligations to avoid putting the wrong things down the drain.
Under section 111 of the Water Industry Act 1991, it is an offence to discharge anything into a sewer which may interfere with it flowing freely. Where the softly-softly approach fails, regulatory measures to control discharges of FOG are increasingly being used to deter and penalise inappropriate behaviours.
Speaking at the FOG Summit in Liverpool in 2022, Jennie Smith, director of building maintenance at Mitchells & Butlers, said the pub and restaurant group had had to undertake its own trials of grease management equipment due to the lack of an industry standard to guide investment in new systems.
In 2021, the company was ordered to pay more than £90,000 after allowing significant amounts of FOG to get into the Thames Water sewer network from one of its pubs in Oxfordshire. Mitchells & Butlers operates more than 1,600 venues across the UK and taking the bull by the horns, has since invested £7 million in installing GRUs across its UK estate.
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Domestic front
At the domestic level, less stringent rules apply, due to the smaller quantities of FOG produced. Instead, householders are advised that dishes and plates, pots and pans need to be wiped prior to washing, to ensure that any residual FOG is not discarded down the drain. It is also recommended that excess cooking oil and leftover food are scraped into food waste recycling where possible, and otherwise, the kitchen bin.
In 2017, a 250 meter-long fatberg was cleared from the main sewer in Whitechapel, London – it weighed a staggering 130 tonnes. The cost of clearing mammoth fatbergs like this across the UK is believed to be around £100 million per annum, a cost that is ultimately passed on to water company customers.
The trouble with FOG does not end there, with road closures required where mechanical sewer maintenance has to take place, causing traffic and community disruption. It is also dangerous and unsanitary work that requires careful planning and execution.
The creation of fatbergs is largely avoidable, as they result from careless human activity. By preventing these materials and substances entering sewers, the issues and costs associated with FOG can largely be avoided. This flush of new guidance and standards is to be welcomed and everyone whose business touches these issues should ensure they are widely circulated and implemented.
A cross-sector conference on FOG will take place in London on 2-3 October 2024. Hosted by WRc, the event will involve water
| December 2023 |
www.draintraderltd.com
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