Homeowners in Ireland are causing massive problems for Irish Water - by pouring unsuitable liquids down their kitchen sinks.
Fats, oils and greases (otherwise known as FOGs) get poured down by four in every 10 Irish people, with hundreds of blockages in Irish pipes as a result.
Irish Water has teamed with Clean Coasts to launch the 'Think Before You Pour' campaign ahead of Easter Sunday.
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The campaign is being backed up by a whole host of Irish chefs and food personalities, including Niamh O'Sullivan, Kevin Dundon and Guy Sinnott.
FOGs are used in pretty much every cooking process, but with a roast lamb dinner considered an Easter tradition in Ireland, the usage may rise.
But, as a spokesperson explained, they can be quite dangerous.
They said: "FOGs may seem like liquid when poured, but they cool and harden as they travel along the pipes and can cause blockages in our homes, businesses, the public sewer network and wastewater treatment plants and can even lead to overflows of sewage in our communities and pollution in rivers, on beaches and in the ocean.
"When FOGs combine with wipes and other sewage related litter such as hair and dental floss that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet, fatbergs can form. Irish Water clears hundreds of blockages including fatbergs from the wastewater network every week."
Donal Heaney, Wastewater Operations Lead, Think Before You Flush Ambassador for Eastern and Midlands Region added: "Irish Water is delighted to be teaming up with Clean Coasts and chefs from all around Ireland for the ‘Rethink the Sink’ Easter campaign.
"Last year we responded to approximately 10,000 customer notified blockages along the wastewater network, which were leading to sewer overflows.
"Removing fatbergs and blockages from our public sewers and cleaning up sewer overflows is a dirty job with nasty consequences but so easy to prevent.
"We are reminding the public to ‘Think Before You Pour’ this Easter, not to use the kitchen sink as a bin and to help us safeguard the wastewater network and local environment by collecting cooled fats, oils and greases and disposing of them in their bin."
Speaking about the campaign, Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager, Clean Coasts said: "The prevention of blockages in our wastewater systems by fats, oils and greases is something everybody can engage in.
"Simply by being more conscious of our behaviour at the sink, and by making small changes, we can all have a positive impact on our natural environment. I would encourage and remind everyone to ‘Think Before You Pour’ this Easter."
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