A Southern Water team has been given a top sustainability award at a ceremony in London.

The Fat, Oils and Grease (FOG) and Unflushables team was recognised for making a real difference to sustainability in the food service industry and its supply chain.

FOG comes from food waste that results from the preparation and cooking of food in a kitchen, and is often unknowingly discharged to the sewer, through the sink or dishwasher. Other unflushable items are also often flushed down the loo, such as wet wipes and cotton buds. The combination of FOG and unflushable items cause fatbergs that are costly and messy to remove.

Stephen Williams, network protection and enforcement officer, and Tim Bagnall, sludge strategy manager, picked up the Sustainable Use of Resources Award at the Footprint Awards on Wednesday evening, which was held at the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Stephen said: "We're absolutely thrilled to have received this award. It was also fantastic to be recognised for our passion in the work we do, in the food industry, raising awareness in commercial kitchens, reducing blockages, flooding and pollution and protecting the environment."

The awards, now in its ninth year, had a cricket-themed evening and gathers food service and hospitality operators and the industry supply chain. Southern Water were recognised as having an impact in this area by raising awareness of the issues and sharing this with the Food Service Industry as well as their customers.

Every year in England and Wales water companies deal with over300,000blockages - Southern Water, through the FOG and Unflushables project reduced their average annual blockage number from 23,500 to 19,000 since starting in 2015. There is still more to be done by the passionate and enthusiastic team.

Some fun Unflushable animation movies and details about a smartphone game, as well as more information about the project, can be found at:https://www.southernwater.co.uk/the-unflushables