Around 70 per cent of blockages of NPDC’s wastewater network last year were caused by fatbergs created by cooking fat, wet wipes and sanitary products poured down kitchen sinks or flushed down the toilet.

Our team dealt with 125 blockages in 2024, most of which could had been avoided.

“We’ve already had to clear seven fatbergs since the New Year alone,” says NPDC Three Waters Networks Manager Jaco Beeslaar.

“It’d be great if we could end 2025 with a lot fewer blockages than last year - which is something the public can help us with.”

Some easy tips to help prevent fatbergs forming are:

• Before washing plates and roasting pans, scrape any cooking fat onto newsprint and pop into your green food scraps bin.
• Place strainers in your sink to catch food scraps and other debris, preventing them from going down the drain.
• Flush only the 3 Ps: pee, poo and (toilet) paper. Other items - such as wet-wipes, sanitary products, nappies and rags - go in the red top landfill bin.

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Fatbergs are large solid masses which form in pipes from fats, oils and grease washed down kitchen sinks. Along the way it collects random items also flushed into the wastewater system, such as wet-wipes and sanitary products, to cause larger and messier clogs.

“Sewage overflows can contaminate the soil and streams, and people might not be able to swim or collect kai for a while in the affected area. It also costs money to remove the blockage and clean up the site,” says Jaco.

In early January there were two wastewater overflows at The Valley shopping centre at Waiwhakaiho caused by food fat from a privately owned sewer pipe entering the network.

Fast facts

• NPDC looks after 631km of wastewater pipes, serving nearly 26,000 properties.
• Each year we treat about eight million cubic metres of wastewater at the New Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant - the equivalent of four billion two litre milk bottles.

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