‘Think before you pour’ – Kilkenny householders urged not to use sink as a bin

HERE’S a picture of what happens to your local sewage pipes when you use your sink as a bin!

Irish Water urged the people of Kilkenny to think twice about pouring household waste down the sink.

The warning came as new figures reveal the State company has cleared almost 1,500 sewer blockages already this year – the equivalent of 125 blockages every week.

With Easter approaching, Clean Coasts and Irish Water are reminding people not to pour gravy or fats oils and greases (FOGs) from the Easter roast down the sinkhole.

According to a recent survey, 85% of people living in Ireland dispose of food items down the kitchen sink. The survey revealed that the kitchen sink is often treated as a bin for the disposal of melted fats, oils and greases, gravy and other sauces, milk, leftover food, smoothies, ground coffee, mayonnaise, salad dressing, ice-cream and scrapings from plates.

The survey was conducted by Behaviour and Attitudes for the Think Before You Pour Campaign and was based on a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults who were interviewed at the beginning of December 2018.

In order to help tackle this problem Irish Water is offering free ‘GunkPots’ to the first 500 people who register on www.water.ie/thinkbeforeyoupour . A GunkPot is a reusable silicone container used to collect cooled cooking fats, oils and grease from roasting trays, pans and plates.

Irish Water Wastewater Engineer James O’Toole said: “We have cleared almost 1,500 sewer blockages already this year caused by FOGs being poured down the kitchen sink combined with inappropriate items such as baby wipes being flushed down the toilet. This demonstrates the size and scale of the challenge we face to keep the sewer network blockage free. Our message is simple. This Easter we want to remind the public not to use their kitchen sink as a bin. ‘Think before you pour’ and use a GunkPot or a similar container to collect FOGs and help to prevent pipe blockages and protect the marine environment.”

To find out more about the Think Before You Pour campaign, visit: http://thinkbeforeyouflush.org/think-before-you-pour/

For tips and information on how to avoid blocked drains and to claim a free Gunkpot, visit:  visit www.water.ie/thinkbeforeyoupour