How businesses can do more to prevent pipe blockages and improve the health of our waterways
23rd October 2025
There’s a big problem brewing in our sewers and it’s something that requires us all to take notice of – both at work and at home.
By now almost everyone has seen the images of fatbergs building up in our sewers and heard the news that our ageing network of pipes in the UK are increasingly suffering from dangerous blockages. In fact, at last count it was estimated that there are 300,000 significant blockages within our sewer pipes each year – obstacles that hamper drainage systems, cause damage to pipework and hurt our natural environment.
Of course, many of the issues we experience in the UK can be attributed to habits in the home that aren’t the direct responsibility or remit of businesses. However, organisations do have a responsibility to ensure that what goes down their water pipes isn’t likely to cause damage within the sewers.
This is particularly true in commercial kitchens, industrial sites and even offices where it is more likely that fats, oils, grease and wet wipes may make it down the drain or toilet instead of in the bin.
What should businesses be doing?
There’s no doubt that households play a significant role in the creation of blockages but commercial enterprises do need to consider their own role in this area – not least because organisations are increasingly offering staff the opportunity to work remotely and so blockages can be generated during working hours.
Here’s just a few simple steps that businesses should think about taking include:
Using grease traps and fat filters
This is an essential for commercial kitchens and food manufacturing facilities or anywhere that frequently uses fats and oils. These devices are small but mighty – capturing grease before it can solidify and making it possible to simply tip the contents into a suitable waste receptacle or recycling container.
Staff education
Assuming that employees automatically know how to handle waste is always a mistake and even for those experienced in disposing of waste blockers, it never hurts to provide reminders in the form of signage, regular training sessions and clear processes within handbooks and manuals.
Of course, as any reputable water supplier will tell you, the best poster is always a 3Ps explainer to demonstrate that a toilet is only for “Pee, Poo and Paper” rather than wet wipes, sanitary products or nappies.
Ongoing maintenance
Investing in regular drain inspections and pipe cleaning can save significant cost and expensive headaches in the long term. Catching and treating small blockages can remedy an issue long before an organisation risks flooding, leaks and genuine environmental damage.
As the annual #Unblocktober campaign always emphasises, it only takes small changes to daily habits and cost effective improvements to make a big difference when it comes to protecting pipes from blockages and keeping the UK’s waterways flowing clean.
Contact Everflow today!
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