Several businesses in Cheltenham are working closely with Severn Trent Water to prevent the sewers in the town becoming clogged up with oil, fat and grease.
Chun Kong, a positive supporter of local initiatives, was pleased to partner with Severn Trent Water to prevent fatbergs forming in Cheltenham sewers.
Fatbergs are not natural – they are a factor of modern day living, and the blockages caused can lead to raw sewage flowing into businesses and homes. When a local hairdresser had an issue, CCTV identified a fatberg in the sewer below, running the whole length of the street. That’s a lot of fat!
Having previously removed fatbergs from sewers in larger cities such as Birmingham, Severn Trent Water reacted positively and joined forces with ECAS Environmental Services to work with local food outlets to educate them about what shouldn’t be poured down the drains and encourage the installation of grease traps.
The Mayflower Restaurant was the first to install a trap as Chun was eager to be involved in the initiative, giving a sustainable solution and avoiding serious issues in the future. Chun is a key advocate of projects that help the environment and this one had the advantage of preventing any flooding issues in his own restaurant and other businesses in the area. Chun has promoted the use of grease traps in the media and is working with Severn Trent to encourage more places to install the traps. The more businesses engaging in this way of disposing of grease, the less chance of fatbergs building.
Grant Mitchell, Fats, Oils and Grease Strategy Lead for Severn Trent Water said, “We don’t want to be telling the world about huge fatbergs that we’ve found – we want to be tackling the issueat source, so we’re really pleased that businesses have agreed to work with us on reducing sewer blockages. Chun’s positive contribution is an excellent start to helping us prevent it becoming a bigger concern for Cheltenham. The response from Chun and his staff has been great; they’re so keen to learn about how they can play a key part in reducing sewer blockages and improving their local environment.”
Chun said: “We are truly pleased to have been asked to take part in this initiative and was amazed at how such a simple solution will save us money and potential distress in the long run. The Mayflower Restaurant has been trading in Cheltenham since 1982 and we are keen to make sure that whatever we do has a positive impact on the environment and our town, guaranteeing it’s an attractive place to work, live and visit.”
Contact Grant Mitchell for more information on installing grease traps by emailing grant.mitchell@severntrent.co.uk
