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Stoate leads calls for legislation on the use of 'fat traps' Dartford MP, Dr Howard Stoate, will tomorrow (Tuesday 12 December) call on the Government to stop the tide of warm fat that clogs the sewer system by insisting that all restaurants and takeaways install properly-maintained grease interceptors.Over 1,000 tonnes of liquid fat is swilled into Thames Water's sewers every year, much of it from commercial outlets serving hot food. Below ground it cools, hardens and causes over 50,000 blockages that can lead to sewage flooding into homes, gardens and watercourses. Dr. Stoate will table an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons which also calls for a review of the law to make it easier for water companies to prosecute those who illegally tip used cooking oil down the drain. Dr. Stoate said: "Every year there are thousands of incidents of localised flooding caused by ewers that have become blocked with cooking fat from restaurants and takeaways. Not only are these floods extremely distressing for those affected by them, but they also cause a great deal of damage to homes, gardens and businesses.” “There is an urgent need for further measures to tackle this problem which is why I am calling on the Government to make it compulsory for all existing restaurants and takeaways - not just new premises - to have a grease separator installed in their premises”. Thames Water's Wastewater Services Manager, Sarah McMath, said: "Around 80% of the fat that collects in our sewers comes from restaurants and takeaways, so installing fat-traps that are regularly cleaned would massively reduce the number of blockages in the system.” "Over 4,000 homes and gardens were flooded with raw sewage last year after our sewers became blocked, so it's vital that grease is always disposed of properly, especially over the festive period when the amount of fat poured down drains goes up by a quarter."
Last Friday (8 December) Dr. Stoate joined Thames Water on a visit to restaurants in tone in Dartford, talking to owners about how they dispose of used cooking oil. The sewer beneath London Road in Stone frequently clogs with fat and needs to be cleaned every six months. |
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© 2008 Dr Howard Stoate - Member of Parliament for Dartford
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