Don’t ‘Lent’ your pancakes clog the sewers this Shrove Tuesday
Severn Trent are reminding customers to have a flipping good time this Shrove Tuesday, but to ‘be a binner, not a blocker’ by disposing of pancake mix the right way.
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However people like their pancakes, whether it’s with the traditional lemon juice and sugar or something with a few more ingredients, the water company is asking people to discard leftover pancake mix the correct way - by binning the batter instead of pouring it down the drain.
The advice comes as the batter used to make pancakes, and the fats, oils, and greases (FOG) used to cook them can create fatbergs in the sewers and cause horrible blockages which can lead to flooding in customers’ homes.
The water company is giving advice to customers so that they can enjoy the day without any issues and are asking everyone to pass on the advice to loved ones and neighbours so that we can ‘weather the winter together’.
Grant Mitchell, Sewer Blockages Lead at Severn Trent, said: “This Pancake Day, we’d like to remind people to watch what they’re pouring down their drains and think about the affect it could have on the sewers.
“Pancakes might seem undamaging to most people but the batter and the fats, oils and grease that they’re paired with cause huge problems when they’re washed down the sink.
“Once the FOG reaches the pipes and congeals with things that are wrongly flushed down the toilet, like wet wipes, they create fatbergs and cause blockages that can be quite expensive to fix.
“Throw leftover food waste in the bin instead of pouring it in the sink!”
Severn Trent have shared some helpful tips on how you can prevent blockages when making pancakes this Shrove Tuesday:
- Use kitchen roll to soak up grease from plates and pans before washing up
- Collect used cooking oil, fat and grease into a container, jar or tin and put it in the bin once cool
- Whether you’re whipping up American-style or traditional pancakes, always bin that batter
Likewise, to keep drains unclogged, only flush the 3Ps - pee, poo, and (toilet) paper- down the toilet and make sure to keep a bin in the bathroom for all unflushable items, like wipes, sanitary products and cotton buds.
Severn Trent managed to clear a shocking 28,782 blockages last year alone which could’ve been avoided if incorrect items were not put down the toilet and sink. It has also successfully prevented nearly 19 million litres of fats, oil and grease from entering the sewers.
For more information on blockages and how keep your home protected visit stwater.co.uk/avoidblockages.
