Caterers in scheme to fight fat build-up

Twenty-seven hotels and restaurants in Windsor, Berkshire, are taking part in an experiment to help prevent solidified fat building up in sewers.

The caterers have signed up to a pilot scheme being run by Thames Water that will see a device that adds microorganisms to their kitchen waste being installed in their drain. A computerised pump sends microbes into the drain, naturally breaking down the fat before it can clog up the sewer.

One of those taking part is the 39-bedroom Harte and Garter hotel. General manager Richard Varney said: "We sometimes get blockages in our own pipework, so we hope this will help us too, as well as benefiting Windsor."

John Kingdon, Thames Water local area operations manager, added: "Fat causes major problems. We estimate it is to blame for about half of the 100,000 sewer blockages we have to clear across our region every year."

If successful, the scheme could be extended to other areas.

Solidified fat build-up is a particular problem in city areas such as London's Leicester Square, where a 150ft section was once chipped out from a sewer.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 6-12 June 2002