Avoid a pain in the drain

Cooked turkey

Rochdale residents are being urged to avoid a visit from the Sewer Monster this Christmas – by looking after their drains.

United Utilities has launched a “What Not To Flush” campaign so that drains are not left taking the strain.

Festive chefs are being advised to save any left-over fat, oil and grease in a container after roasting the turkey.

Sewers, built to take away wastewater not food waste, are easily clogged up with fat if it is poured down the sink.

The saved fat at Christmas can be thrown in the bin or mixed with breadcrumbs, nuts or seeds to make a tasty treat for garden birds.

United Utilities network operations director, Colin Maloney, said: “We all know the feeling when we’ve overindulged at Christmas, and the sewer network is no different.

“The last thing anyone wants over the Christmas holidays is to have to call out a plumber to unblock their drains.”

Problems can start when hot fat from roasts or gravy is poured down the sink. It goes solid as it cools in the pipe and then furs up the sewers.

Eventually, furred-up drains can become blockages – and in the worst cases cause wastewater to overflow or back up into people’s properties.

Fat often solidifies before it reaches the main sewer, leaving householders with a blockage of their own drains and the hassle and expense of emergency maintenance.

Residents are also not to pour engine oil down the drain. Take it instead to a recycling centre. Plastic razors, sanitary items and medicines should be thrown in the bin.

For more information, visit: unitedutilities.com/whatnottoflush