Fatberg the ‘size of a small bungalow’ removed from east London sewer

The fatberg is said to have smelled like composting festival toilets and rotten meat
It took two weeks to remove the ‘huge’ mass from a conduit in Canary Wharf
Thames Water
April Roach @aprilroach2819 February 2021

A “disgusting” fatberg that had the weight of a small bungalow and smelled like rotten meat has been removed from an east London sewer.

Thames Water urged members of the public to be “careful what they flush” after it took two weeks to remove the “huge” mass from a conduit in Canary Wharf.

The foul-smelling fatberg was clogging long sections of the sewer under Yabsley Street and Thames Water said it could have led to sewage spilling into homes and the environment if it had grown any further.

Thames Water engineers and MTS Cleansing Services used high-powered water jets and hand tools to chip away at the rock-like heap, which is said to have smelled like composting festival toilets and rotten meat.

“This was a huge, disgusting fatberg that took a great deal of brute force and teamwork to clear,” said Matt Rimmer, Thames Water’s head of waste networks.

“Our brilliant engineers were able to clear the huge blockage before it caused serious problems, negotiating tricky and cramped working conditions along the way.

“We’d ask everyone to help fight the fatberg by only flushing the 3Ps – pee, poo and paper – as well as disposing of fat and oils in the bin, not the sink.”

Fatbergs are formed when oil, grease and fat poured down drains combine with non-biodegradable items such as wet wipes, nappies and cotton buds.

The fatberg was located under Yabsley Street in Canary Wharf
PA

The fatberg is the latest in a series to have been removed in recent years, with another equated to an African elephant removed in October 2020.

In 2019, Thames Water 140 tonnes-worth of fatbergs from the drains of Greenwich, Pall Mall and the Shard.

It took two weeks to remove the foul smelling fatberg
PA

Thames Water spends £18 million each year clearing 75,000 blockages from sewers in London and the Thames Valley.

Its “bin it – don’t block it” campaign urges customers to consider what can and cannot be flushed down their toilets.

Chris Henderson, sales director at MTS Cleansing Services, said: “Our experienced confined space entry team, faced with a range of potential hazards, achieved great results in difficult conditions.

“MTS worked tirelessly from the planning stage to completion alongside Thames Water and we’re delighted with the result.”

Additional reporting by PA Media.

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