Dealing with Oil in Commercial Environments

We often discuss the extent to which disposing of oil in the wrong way can affect your pipes along with the public network. We all have responsibilities within our home to stop oil from polluting our public drainage system. However, commercial enterprises face an even bigger challenge.

In this blog, we will detail some techniques you can employ to minimise the effect of oil in drainage systems and the environment.

If you are facing any issues within your commercial facility, give us a call today on 0808 164 0776.

Why Are Fats, Oils, and Grease so Problematic?

Fats, oils, and grease are known collectively as ‘FOG’ in the drainage industry. People assume that as they are liquid at the point of disposal, they will simply run away down the drain, but instead, the FOG will solidify within the cold pipes and create a blockage or clog.

According to statistics from Water UK, around 80% of the 360,000 blockages that occur annually in Britain, 80% are a result of FOG along with wipes and other sanitary items/un-flushable items.

This causes significant disruption not only in domestic and commercial drainage systems, and costs water companies around £90m each and every year. Moreover, this figure does not even include the costs of cleaning up and repairing the flood damage that results from said blockages and clogs.

FOG and the Commercial Food Industry

Environmentalists and water companies both have a vested interest in addressing this issue, and there has been a significant focus on targeting commercial food industry premises in order to check how they are dealing with their FOG waste.

A significant part of this is because there are a disproportionate number of clogs in locations which are densely populated with restaurants and takeaways. This suggests that commercial enterprises are having a significant impact on drainage networks.

Although things might have been allowed to slide in the past, it is becoming increasingly common for food service establishments (FSEs) to face severe repercussions for their impact on our drainage network and the environment.

It is vital that you take steps before your own business is targeted.

Dealing with Drainage Issues as a Commercial Enterprise

There are a few steps you can take to address issues that might come up.

Firstly, train your staff to recognise how the waste they are dealing with might affect not only your own drainage system but the public network. Have a system in place for dealing with dirty dishes and ensure that everyone knows precisely how they should be handled.

Secondly, make sure that you have a drainage system that is fit for purpose. It might be that you are dealing with a system that is out-of-date, broken, or not fit-for-purpose. By getting in touch with Clark Drainage, we will happily review your situation and suggest ways that we could improve it.

Finally, ensure that you are dealing with fats, oils, and greases in a responsible way. British legislation demands that you have oil collected and disposed of in a responsible manner, so ensure that you have an organisation in place to collect the bulk of your waste.

Our Company

At Clark Drainage, we pride ourselves in our work in maintaining drainage systems throughout the United Kingdom. We have worked hard to build our reputation for reliable work, practical solutions, and affordable pricing.

In order to achieve this, we strive for excellence in every area of our business. Firstly, we have several teams of experienced drainage technicians who have been trained to the highest standard in all of the processes they carry out.

Moreover, we arm all of our personnel with the most excellent industry-leading equipment that allows them to carry out their work in the most effective and efficient way possible.

Finally, we appreciate that drainage issues can occur at any time in the day or night. If a critical blockage takes place at 1am, it is no use if we turn up the next day at 10am. We offer an around-the-clock emergency rapid response service which guarantees our arrival in as little as 1-2 hours.

If you would like more information about our drainage services today, give us a call now on 0808 164 0776.

Alternatively, fill in our contact form, and we will be in touch as soon as possible.