A WARNING has gone out to all commercial kitchens in York plus North and East Yorkshire: Block your drains with fat and grease and face a hefty fine or even imprisonment.

The alert, from Yorkshire Water, follows a number of recent sewer flooding incidents in the region attributed to blockages of fat in the main sewer.

Yorkshire Water, which spends £3 million a year "and rising" on clearing these blockages, says many of these incidents could be directly traced back to one or more commercial kitchen outlets, such as a take-away or restaurant.

Graham Dixon, waste water director at Yorkshire Water, said: "Many businesses are not aware that they could be prosecuted for not disposing of their fats and grease correctly. We regularly contact commercial outlets and can give sound practical advice on how to keep within the law.

"It's not just about keeping our costs down, it's equally important that we do all we can to prevent environmental damage. After a sewer flooding incident this can be a major concern.

"For this reason we contact any company who may be struggling to keep within the law. In most cases things can be quickly sorted, but where companies fail to make changes, they could be prosecuted."

He said that most businesses had a responsible attitude to what they discharged into the sewers. "And when companies find out that they may be liable for any claims for loss or damage following a blockage, most are quick to comply."

One answer was to install "degreasing" units into the kitchen waste disposal which separates fat for disposal in normal kitchen waste.

He urged kitchen managers to contact Yorkshire Water to find out in more detail how they can avoid the risks of fines or imprisonment. Help can be found by phoning 0845 1242429.

Yorkshire Water has reduced loss through leakage for the tenth consecutive year, according to a new report published by water regulator OFWAT. This is in spite of this week's protests by residents of Glen Road, Heworth, York, about an unrepaired leaking water main in their road. This leak was repaired yesterday.

The report states that the amount of water lost through leaks on the company's own water supply network and customer's private supply pipes has, since 1995, been cut by more than 40 per cent.

Updated: 11:19 Friday, July 15, 2005