BASILDON Council received 600 calls regarding drainage problems caused by congealed fat poured down the drain in the last year.
The local authority revealed the figures yesterday, to emphasise its warning to residents and businesses not to pour cooking fat down the sink.
The council believes the 600 call-outs were only a fraction of the total number of blocked drains in the district, as many go unreported.
Paul Avery, a senior environmental health officer at Basildon Council, said: "Households and food businesses pour thousands of litres of fat down the sink every year.
"These quickly cool into hard masses which build up over time leaving drains and sewers blocked.
"We are advising residents to scrape left over fat into the bin to avoid the unnecessary cost of clearing any blocked pipes."
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