As families start to prepare to celebrate Christmas with festive feasts, NI Water is reminding everyone to keep their drains clear by binning fats, oils, and grease (FOG) – not pouring them down the sink or flushing them down the toilet.

When cooking for Christmas, it’s easy to forget that leftover fat from roast dinners, gravy, and puddings can cause chaos in our sewers. Pouring FOG down the sink or toilet leads to sticky build-ups that block pipes, damage homes, and create giant ‘fatbergs’ in our public sewers. These blockages can flood kitchens and bathrooms, disrupt whole neighbourhoods, and land households with expensive repairs.

Over the past year, NI Water has responded to more than 10,000 blockages caused by FOG and inappropriate items. NI Water Education Officer Anna Killen said: “Every Christmas, blockages become more of a concern as more people cook at home and pour fat down the sink. It might seem harmless, but even small amounts of FOG can stick to pipes and cause major problems. We’re asking everyone to do their bit this festive season and keep our drains fat-free. Together we can make sure everyone enjoys a blockage-free holiday season.”

Top tips to share with friends, family and neighbours on how to dispose of FOG safely:

• Let leftover fat cool in a container, then scrape it into your food waste or bin.
• Wipe greasy pans with kitchen roll before washing up.
• Use a sink strainer to catch scraps and prevent them entering the drain.
• Never pour oil, fat or grease down the sink or toilet.
• Only ever flush the 3Ps – pee, poo and paper. A wastewater drain which runs from each house is only a few inches wide and is only designed for human waste and toilet roll.

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Media enquiries to the NI Water Press Office via email to press.office@niwater.com