Australians are being warned to think carefully about what they put down their drains, with a shocking image showing what can happen when pipes become blocked.
Aside from flushing wet wipes down the toilet, one of the biggest mistakes people make is pouring cooking oil down the sink – and it can also be a “health and environmental nightmare”, Sydney Water recently warned.
Grease, fats and oils, along with hair, cotton buds and wet wipes, are a major risk to our homes and waterways, Ian Wright of Western Sydney University previously told Yahoo. They contribute to a $15-20 million problem each year in New South Wales alone, but it’s a problem felt across the country.
How cooking oils can be problematic for waterways
An image shared by Sydney Water on Facebook last week shows exactly what can happen when oil is poured down the sink and not disposed of properly in the garden or rubbish bin. To explain why fats, oils and grease can be problematic, the organisation stated: “When they come into contact with cold water from wastewater pipes, they harden.”
“These then combine with other waste, such as wet wipes, to form hard blockages known as ‘fatbergs,'” they continued alongside an image showing the build-up of grease inside a blocked pipe. “These blockages can cause overflows which can be a nightmare for health and the environment as sewage backs up and overflows into homes, backyards and local waterways.”
What’s more, residents may be left with a costly plumbing bill to fix a blocked drain.
Fatbergs are a big problem for Australians
A “fatberg” refers to the often huge blockages that form in our drains, typically made up of foreign matter that should never enter waterways. Sydney Water says hundreds of tonnes of unwanted bathroom products and kitchen waste enter our waterways and wastewater system every year, at huge cost to customers and the environment.
For the average person, flushing the wrong thing down the sink or toilet could “endanger the public health of their area,” Wright warned.
“The sewer on your street could be blocked and children walking to school could pass through a puddle without realising that it is actually raw sewage,” he explained. “Raw sewage is infectious and that is what is really dangerous.”
To prevent this from happening in your home, Sydney Water has warned residents to:
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Scrape up any food scraps and place them in the bin or compost.
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Wipe greasy pots and dishes with a paper towel before washing.
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Pour used oil or greasy liquids (such as old milk) into a container and throw it away.
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Use a sink strainer to collect small pieces of food.
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