British Pie Week is in full swing and anyone who is celebrating at home with all the trimmings are being asked to think about how they dispose of the leftovers.

The humble pie, a mouth-watering and delicious treat for many and one that is being celebrated this week for British Pie Week, which is running until Sunday, March 9^th.

Anyone who may be celebrating the occasion by making their own from scratch or just cooking a delicious dinner with a pie as the centrepiece are being asked by Severn Trent to think about what they do with the leftovers and the ingredients that aren’t used.

Because no pie is complete without a side of creamy mash and a boat-load of gravy, the water and waste company is reminding everyone to ‘be a binner, not a blocker’ as the gravy and other ingredients can create fatbergs in the sewers and cause horrible blockages, which can lead to flooding in customers’ homes. 

The water company is giving advice to customers so that they can enjoy the week without any issues and are asking everyone to share this guidance with their loved ones and neighbours so that we can ‘weather the winter together’.

Grant Mitchell, Sewer Blockages Lead at Severn Trent, said: “You can’t beat a good pie, but there are a lot of things used to make them that can cause problems for the sewers, which in turn could cause problems for customers.

“We want to avoid that, so once again we are asking everyone to ‘be a binner, not a blocker’. Things like gravy and other pies fillings may seem like they won’t cause harm if washed down the sink, but they really can.

“Fatbergs can form and cause blockages, which could prove to be an expensive fix for customers, so we would advise everyone to throw their leftovers in the bin and help protect the sewers and potentially themselves.”

Severn Trent have shared some helpful tips on how you can prevent blockages when making pies this week:

·         Use kitchen roll to soak up grease from plates and pans before washing up  

·         Collect used cooking oil, fat and grease into a container, jar or tin and put it in the bin once cool 

·         Make sure things like gravy or anything else used for the fillings is binned rather than washed down the sink

Likewise, to keep drains unclogged, only flush the 3Ps - pee, poo, and (toilet) paper- down the toilet and make sure to keep a bin in the bathroom for all unflushable items, like wipes, sanitary products and cotton buds.

Severn Trent managed to clear a shocking 28,782 blockages last year alone which could’ve been avoided if incorrect items were not put down the toilet and sink. It has also successfully prevented nearly 19 million litres of fats, oil and grease from entering the sewers.

For more information on blockages and how keep your home protected visit www.stwater.co.uk/avoidblockages.