Dumping fryer fat down the drain after cooking oliebollen can cause many problems

Dutch people planning to deep fry their own oliebollen at home have again been warned not to dump the cooking fat down the sink drain or into the toilet. This still happens far too often, resulting in clogged drains, said installation and technician association Techniek Nederland.

Last year, the Dutch association of waterboards noted that about 40 percent of Dutch residents who use a deep fryer at this time of the year improperly dispose of the cooking fat by dumping it down a drain at home. The problem is particularly acute around the New Year's holiday when people make olibollen, a traditional fried doughy dumpling served to ring in the New Year.

"When you flush cooking fat down the sink or toilet, it is still liquified. The fat then cools, and solidifies. This means that a layer of grease will form on the inside of the drain pipes, causing a blockage," said Eric van der Blom from Techniek Nederland. "A plumber or sewer blockage worker will then have to be called in to solve the problems."

“Oliebollen grease causes major problems in pipes and sewage treatment plants,” the water board association said last year. Aside from clogging up pipes at home, and local sewer points, cleaning fryer oil at the sewage plants also require a major effort. “Purifying and disposing of this fat costs the water boards several million euros annually,” the water boards said.

Van der Blom said the fryer fat should be poured back into its original container. "You can hand in such old packaging at a collection point nearby. Then it can be made into biofuel. That is a green energy source."

Those who get into trouble with clogged drains at home should be very careful when choosing a plumber or a company to remove the sewer blockage. Techniek Nederland recommends using its tool to find a local and recognized professional, checking online reviews for companies, and getting a clear estimate up front. Unreliable workers can charge sky-high amounts for shoddy work.

Additionally, people should scroll past the first few search results to find a professional with a street address in one's own neighborhood. "At the top of the Google results you often come across intermediaries who then look for a company to carry out the job. That is not prohibited, but as a consumer it usually costs more than if you hire a plumber or unblocking company directly," Van der Blom said.