NI Water Urges Public: Keep Easter Waste out of the Sink

As Easter approaches and kitchens across Northern Ireland prepare for festive feasts, NI Water is reminding everyone to keep their drains clear by not pouring fats, cooking oils or grease down the sink. 

To encourage better habits and highlight the impact of improper disposal, NI Water has shared its 2025 blockages league table once again. The table ranks each county according to their blockages performance and reveals which communities are leading the way in keeping their drains clear, and which are lagging behind. 

This friendly competition comes with a reminder that fats, oils and grease may seem harmless, but once washed away, they cool and solidify, causing serious blockages in pipes and sewers. This can lead to unpleasant odours, flooding and costly repairs for households and communities alike. Instead, NI Water recommends letting leftover fats, oils, and greases cool before disposing of them in the bin. 

NI Water’s Head of Environmental Regulation Angela Halpenny said: “At NI Water, we work hard every day to keep your sewers running smoothly. We notice that blockages tend to increase when everyone is home enjoying holiday cooking and baking. With Easter around the corner, think about your kitchen habits and join us in helping to keep pipes clear by binning fats, oils and grease. Working together, we can make a big difference - and remember, proper disposal is not just helpful, it's the right thing to do for the environment!”

Join NI Water in the campaign to wipe out blockages for good. Our YouTube video offers an inside glimpse about sewer blockages. Further information about how you can play your part is also available online via www.niwater.com/bag-it-and-bin-it/ and www.water.org.uk/bin-the-wipe.

Check out the checklist of ‘never flush’ items below:

• Bin your FOG: Let fats, oils and grease cool, then scrape or pour them into a container and pop it in the bin.
• Wipes aren’t flushable: Even ‘flushable’ wipes don’t break down – always bin them.
• Only flush the 3 Ps: pee, poo and (toilet) paper. Everything else should be binned.

Ends 

Notes to editors:

The top 10 worst towns for sewer blockages caused by fats, oils and grease (FOG) in 2025:

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