"Fatbergs are formed when oil, grease and fat poured down drains combine with non-biodegradable items such as wet wipes, nappies and cotton buds. If left to grow, they can cause flooding and widespread effluent pollution when sewers back up. It was after such an incident that investigators discovered the latest fatberg lurking 10 metres below the streets of Feltham. It was composed primarily of wet wipes, compacted into a fibrous and gelatinous mass blocking the flow through a major sewer pipe beneath the district."
"It comes as Thames Water's creditors ask the water industry regulator, Ofwat, for up to 15 years leniency from rules on pollution of England's waterways, arguing it would be impossible for the company to make upgrades across London and south-east England more quickly because of the scale of the work needed after years of neglect. Thames Water has been crippled by huge debts built up over two decades by owners who have been criticised for paying out dividends"
Engineers spent a month blasting and chiselling a 100-tonne fatberg composed mainly of wet wipes bound by congealed fat, oil and grease from a major sewer 10 metres beneath Feltham in west London. The blockage equalled the mass of eight double-decker buses and extended along about 125 metres of pipe. Specialist teams entered the sewer in protective gear using a two-person safety cage, picks, shovels and high-pressure hoses to dislodge the fibrous, gelatinous mass. Fatbergs form when fats and oils combine with non-biodegradable items and can cause flooding and effluent pollution when sewers back up. Thames Water publicised the cleanup during a national campaign while facing creditor requests for regulatory leniency amid heavy debts and criticism over underinvestment in infrastructure.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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