Dispose of fat correctly
Cooking fat can block pipes – put it in your rubbish and not down the sink!
When fat gets into a sewer, it forms lumps which stick to the pipe walls. Eventually the lumps become heavy enough to fall off and float down the pipe. If they are big enough, they can block the pipe completely and cause spills.
Please think carefully when disposing of fats. After cooking, let the fat cool, put it into a sealed container and then into your rubbish bin.
Pots, pans and plates should be scraped into the rubbish bin before being rinsed and washed. A sink strainer is also an effective way of stopping food scraps entering the waste system.
Commercial facilities dealing with large amounts of fat must have grease traps correctly fitted and regularly cleaned out.
Don’t use the toilet as a rubbish bin
Please don’t put rags, nappies, personal hygiene products or paper towels down the toilet as these products create blockages and can damage the pipes or get tangled up in the pumps. Dispose of these items in your rubbish bin.
Don’t plant trees over sewer pipes
Give some thought when planting trees or large bushes in your garden. Because roots extend some distance underground, try to plant trees as far away from the sewer pipe as possible. Choose species that grow slowly and do not have large invasive roots - avoid willows as they have very invasive root systems.
Your local garden centre should be able to give you good advice on which plants to use.
Stormwater
During wet weather, rain water drains into the sewerage system and if the capacity of the system is exceeded, the wastewater can back-up and overflow from low points within it.
Low lying gully traps and water from roof downpipes are the major causes of stormwater getting into the sewerage system. Our on-going sewer inspections are identifying potential problems and helping to reduce stormwater inflows.
You can help by making sure there is no direct connection of stormwater to the sewer pipe (e.g. down pipes into the gully trap or low lying gully traps).