Restaurant Fined for FOGs in Sewers

Severn Trent has successfully prosecuted a restaurant for blocking sewers with fat, oil and grease (FOGs).

Café Saffron in Church Road, Codsall, was ordered to pay a total of £5,495 at Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court, for repeatedly blocking the sewers with cooking oil and fat from its kitchen. Blockages had been reported on several occasions after the fat coagulated in the sewer, causing neighbouring business to complain of being unable to flush their toilets.

Emma FitzGerald, Managing Director of Wholesale Operations, commented:

“The verdict in this case is an important milestone for us, and we really want this to make other companies think about what they are doing with regards to disposing of fats, oils and grease and how it impacts our customers.

“We clear around 45,000 blockages a year and fat contributes to the majority of those, as it binds together all the other things that end up in the sewer rather than the bin and creates huge lumps which block the sewers.  This is totally avoidable and in this case, simply installing a small grease trap could have prevented the situation.  Legal action is a last resort for us, but our customers shouldn’t have to suffer because of the actions of one business not following the rules, and ignoring our advice.”

The law regarding discharging waste – and particularly FOGs – into the sewer is strict and there are many ways to fall foul of it. You can read our guide here about that – and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.