Fat in the drains is perhaps the culprit for the recent
spillages of sewage on the riverside walks down by the Merryton sewage bridge,
although grit off the roads could be in the frame too we understand from
sources close to River CC.
A regular Gurnite asks: "Perhaps you could do a public
service and ask every chippie, takeaway, B+B and hotel in Nairn what they do
with used fat?"
Well we'll ask anyone that reads the Gurn, we don't imagine
we reach all parts by any means. So how is it for you Gurnites, how do you
ensure your used fat doesn't go down the drain?
19 comments:
Should ask all residents how they dispose of fat not just food outlets. As a private resident I bottle all used fat and dispose of in green bin and also wipe excess oil from pans etc with kitchen paper and again dispose of in green bin. We all have to do our bit.
I think you'll find that there are a number of people who take the used fat from businesses to recycle as bio-diesel. From what I understand it is actually becoming very difficult to source these days as there is such demand for recycling in this manner. It would be tragic and surprising if any business was disposing down the drains when there it can be put to good use! I think Nairnlass is correct finger would be better pointed at domestic users not the businesses.
There's a lot of guest houses and B&Bs doing cooked breakfasts in Nairn. I bet the sewers in these areas are full of fat too.
I think it's not businesses dumping oil and fat down drains is the problem, but as Nairnlass has highlighted the excess fats and oils from cooking pans, etc which can slowly build up.
If businesses fitted and maintained a fat trap, this would minimise what went into sewers. Maybe the question to businesses is, do you have a fat trap and if no, when are you going to install one.
we pour ours into a tin and bin it....sadly means that 1 tin isnt getting recycled but there you go...
I rarely have used fat to dispose of, as I use very little. If I cook sausages in the grill, for example, I must admit I do tend to dispose of it down the sink, but with lashings of hot water and a good scoot of washing up liquid to disperse it into an emulsion which in theory should not congeal in the drains. Probably not the "approved" solution but better than just chucking it straight into the drains and I'd rather not landfill it.
Me too, I mix it with my hot soapy washing up water and put it down the sink. Done this for years and never had a blocked drain !
Anon @ 8:26AM
Bad news is cleaning away fat at a sink in a house even with hot water and washing up liquid, does mean it ends up solidifying in sewers down the line.
It probably just means your sewer pipes under your sink or in your garden are clear.
Any fats or oils should be disposed correctly, and not flushed away at a sink.
Just remember not to complain when a sewer chokes in the future - "every little hurts" as the saying goes.
'Any fats or oils should be disposed correctly, and not flushed away at a sink' So what is the correct way?
I already use as little oil as possible, grill rather than fry and wipe up as much residue as I can off plates and pans with kitchen towel which I bin. I do not want to send rubbish to landfill either but it is a straight choice for me between down the drain or onto kitchen paper.
Any other ideas anyone?
I just lick my plates and let my body absorb the fat, seems to be working quite well as I'm now looking very big boned! Still, at least I'll have sparkling drains
Why not send to landfill. After all fats and oils are very much biodegradable.
Deciding to pour or wash away down a sink is irresponsible, as it directly leads to build up in sewers and directly causes restrictions as happened at Merryton recently.
Why not pour fats and oils into a tin and put in a bin. Or mix with birdseed and hang in your garden as a home made birdfeeder.
We are afterall not talking gallons here from a house. So maybe wipe the loan with a paper towel and put in the win.
We must persue our businesses in Nairn though and ask them if they have fat traps fitted.
Is it definitely "fat" that is blocking the sewer? Simply that anything but pure water running through any pipe will eventually lead to some of of residue build up - especially when it's not cleaned out regularly.
I don't know how the sewer network links up, but I assume that the pipe over the Merryton Bridge flows east to west. No B&Bs and no hotels east of the river. So if I'm right then it's household fat causing that particular problem. Other comments about correct disposal must be taken on-board by all.
@Brian
Not sure as to what you pour down your drains but I can't think of anything but fat (cooking oil, cooking fat, soap fat etc) that will block the drains in such a fashion
I'm sure Scottish Water would be grateful to know of any theories you might have as to the culprit if it isn't fat
@Iain
You are back to front Iain,the sewer flows from West to East.
Send the fat to a landfill. also try and use less diswasher tablets, ie, half or a third at a time as they congeal and will cause blocks.
Never heard of dishwasher tablets concealing. What's the source of that info as I couldn't find any info on that online.
Anon @ 2:15
Yes it's true. Dishwasher tablets conceal all the fat and food on my plates and dishes. You just switch the dishwasher on and when its finished cleaning you open the door and all the fat and stuff has just disappeared, I've no idea where it goes. It must be concealed somewhere but I don't where, the tablets are magic!
the info came from the mouth of a noswa engineer whilst he was attending to a blocked drain in my street about two years ago.
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