Yorkshire Water Using Innovative Technology To Tackle Fat Blockages And Prevent Pollution In York

Yorkshire Water has partnered with Cobra Hydro to use innovative technology to help tackle the problem of sewer blockages caused by fats, oils and greases from the York’s food services establishments.

Fats, oils and greases incorrectly disposed of into the sewer can congeal in the network and block sections of the pipework. These can lead to sewage not flowing freely and backing up in the network before escaping and causing pollution in the local environment or watercourses.

Yorkshire Water’s network protection, customer field services and innovation teams are now working with Cobra Hydro to use its ‘Bio Pop’ dosing blocks to combat the amount of fats entering the sewers. The environmentally safe solution slowly dissolves in the sewer, releasing microbes and enzymes that help to break down fats.

Lauren Gillespie, network protection team leader at Yorkshire Water, said: “Our teams have worked hard, alongside food businesses in York, to improve grease management implementation. However, the concentration of these businesses, a growing population and an ever-changing high street, has led to significant persistent challenges with fats, oils and greases within the sewer network.

“By partnering with Cobra Hydro and using this innovative and eco-friendly technology we can combat fats to protect the sewer network and reduce the potential for fat blockages to cause pollution of York’s watercourses in a safe way.”

The first dosing blocks will be installed in York's sewer network in September. Over the course of the next 12 months, they will be closely monitored, and should the project prove successful, it may be expanded and replicated in other towns and cities across the region.

Clint Jackson, business development director at Cobra Hydro UK, said: “We are looking forward to work in conjunction with Yorkshire Water to combat the fats, oils and grease problems, faced by York. We are confident that with the use of a regular dosing programme, using the MicroCat BioPOP enzyme blocks, the reduction of fats, oils and grease, within the network, should become apparent.”

About Yorkshire Water
We’re Yorkshire Water. The people trusted to take care of Yorkshire’s most valuable natural resource. On the surface, it sounds simple. We manage and look after the region’s water. But water is not quite like anything else. We’re not like any other business – and nowhere is quite like Yorkshire. Our work means much more than just supplying clean drinking water, taking away wastewater and looking after the region’s coast and countryside. We’re an integral part of Yorkshire life and millions of people who live and work here rely upon us, every single day.

We look after communities, protect the environment and plan ahead to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow, always. 24/7, 365, we provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing and prosperity. That means over 5 million customers, and the millions of people who visit Yorkshire each year rely on us, every day. 140,000 businesses also depend upon the water we supply and the wastewater we take away to provide goods and services that support the economy – not only in Yorkshire, but across the United Kingdom and beyond.