A Chinese takeaway in west London has been ordered to pay £13,000 in fines after repeatedly dumping fats, oils, and grease into sewers for over seven years.
China Panda in Fulham was taken to court after Thames Water tried to tell the takeaway to improve its waste disposal.
The takeaway was ordered to pay £13,090 in fines and costs after being prosecuted at Reading Magistrates Court on April 25.
Thames Water had told China Panda to install a grease management trap to stop unwanted items from getting in its drainage system in 2018, the water company said.
Blockages were reported in 2022 and in 2023 when it was uncovered that the trap had not been maintained.
The repeated failure led Thames Water to pursue enforcement action to try and reduce the impact on its customers and the environment.
Thames Water said it is forced to spend £18million a year unblocking similar sewage cases.
The water company deals with 75,000 blockages in its sewers a year.
Tess Fayers, Thames Water’s waste and bioresources director, said: “Sewer abuse is part of the everyday challenge we face to keep the sewers flowing to remove and treat customers’ wastewater.
“It is vital that we all (at home or at work) follow the rules to dispose of our waste in a manner that is safe for our assets, customers, and the environment. Discarded food solids, fats and grease congeal and block sewers.
“These ‘fatbergs’ can then lead to flooding of customer homes or pollution in our rivers.
“Our work to find and stop these offences helps us to maintain our sewer network and protect the environment.
“We will always look to work with individuals and companies to educate them on the effects sewer abuse has, but we will take legal action as a last resort where the risk is too high.
“We are pleased the courts understood the seriousness of abusing the wastewater system, which is reflected in the outcome.
“We hope it will remind others in the food industry to act responsibly and discard their waste correctly.”
