I’m writing this just after the holiday season, so I have fatbergs on the brain. Those are the types of sewer and drain headlines that typically consume my email inbox toward the end of the year.
Keeping FOG (fats, oils and grease) out of pipes is a year-round issue, but it seems the warnings are given extra prominence during the holidays when the amount and type of food served at large family gatherings carry increased FOG risk.
Thames Water in London is one utility that produces a lot of fatberg-related content. The most recent, “Keep Christmas out of the drains: Grandchild of the Whitechapel fatberg delivers a festive warning.” A fatberg believed to weigh about 100 tonnes and stretching roughly 100 meters was discovered blocking a sewer beneath Whitechapel in east London. Thames Water dubbed it the “grandchild” of an infamous 2017 fatberg that weighed even more. FOG accounts for 28% of Thames Water’s sewer blockages every year, and it spikes during the two-month period of December and January, so it’s understandable that the utility attempts to do as much public education as possible.
Utilities often take the lead in sounding the alarm, and that makes sense. But contractors shouldn’t underestimate the role they can play in educating the public as well. In many ways, contractors are the most effective messengers. You see the consequences firsthand. You’re the one explaining to a homeowner why a drain keeps backing up, or to a restaurant owner why they experience the same recurring problems. You’re not speaking in abstract terms — you’re showing people what actually happens when grease, wipes and food waste go where they don’t belong.
Education doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. A short post on your website explaining why grease doesn’t “wash away.” A photo or video on social media showing what came out of a blocked line. A reminder post before the holidays encouraging people to scrape plates, use sink strainers and dispose of grease properly. These small efforts add up.
You could even go a step further and make yourself available as an expert source for your local media. When sewer backups spike in December and January, news outlets often look for someone who can explain the issue in plain language. Contractors who are willing to talk about what causes these problems — and how they can be prevented — help get accurate information out while also putting a human face on the industry. These are exactly the type of news items that I’m seeing so much of at the moment.
There’s a business upside, too. Education builds credibility. When people see you as someone who wants to prevent problems, not just fix them after the fact, trust grows. And when a problem does occur, they’re far more likely to call the contractor who took the time to explain how to avoid it in the first place.
Public education around FOG will always be a shared responsibility. Utilities have a role to play. But contractors shouldn’t sell themselves short. You’re on the front lines. You have the experience, the stories and the authority to make the message stick.
Enjoy this month’s issue.
