WARWICK has literally been saved from drowning in its own fat.
Severn Trent Water has just completed removing ten tonnes of fat and silt from the town’s sewers during Operation Warwick sewer cleanse over the course of four days.
Malcolm Smith, customer and community lead for Severn Trent, told The Observer: “We’ve been monitoring the sewer system in Warwick, and recently we detected that a major problem was building up and needed to act quickly.
“Huge amounts of fat have been congealing in the town’s sewers and had we not cleared it out, there would have been sewer flooding throughout the town – along roads, into houses and gardens, and worryingly, at the world famous Warwick Castle.
“There would also have been sewage flooding into the river close to where people hire boats. We couldn’t allow this to happen, not to our customers, and not to the visitors to the castle, so we acted fast.”
Part of the sewer system had to be switched off, drained and thoroughly cleaned to enable the town’s sewage water to flow freely through the pipes.
Located near the castle, the pipes ensure waste water can be taken underneath the Avon to Longbridge Sewage Works, just outside of the town – but only when they are fat-free.
A similar fat-clogged pipe in St Nicholas Park also had to be cleared to avoid the threat of sewage flooding the park and into the Avon.
Mr Smith said: “It would appear that Warwick is under constant threat from fat.
“This is a common problem in our towns and cities, as people constantly pour oil and fat down our drains, and flush wipes down toilets.
“As part of our strategy to prevent sewer misuse, we’ll be visiting restaurants and take-aways in Warwick to talk to owners about safe disposal of fat to try to prevent this happening again.
“But there’s a part for our customers in Warwick to play too – please put wipes in the bin, not down the toilet and pour cooking oil and fat into a sealable container when it’s cold, and throw that into the bin too.”
